<$BlogRSDUrl$>

Monday, January 31, 2005

REVIEWING THIS FOR E/I MAG 

REVIEWING THIS FOR E/I MAG

When I Make Myself Imagine 

"When I make myself imagine what it is like to be one of those women who live at home, faithfully serving their husbands - women who have not a single exciting prospect in life yet who believe that they are perfectly happy - I am filled with scorn. Often they are of quite good birth, yet have had no oppertunity to find out what the world is like. I wish they could live for a while in our society...so that they might come to know the delights it has to offer."

- From Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book

READING CAGE AGAIN 

READING CAGE AGAIN

CHING UGH 

CHING UGH

TCHING OUGH 

TCHING OUGH

ITCHING ROUGH 

ITCHING ROUGH

Friday, January 28, 2005

Gauntlet 



Self-proclaimed "failed" pop star Momus has penned a commentary on the Japan Today website today with the predictable title "Staying Foreign in Japan" in which he (judiciously) cites a myriad of influences: Kafka, Goethe, Paul Bowles, Barthes, Russian 'ostranenie', Orientalism, and 'Platonic-style metaphysics' amonth other things. If you have been following his blog, or the debates that have been going on over at Neomarxisme, all of this is by now old hat. The 'vox populi' comments of the JT readership are perhaps worth looking forward to...we'll see what transpires over the day.

I've chosen to refrain from commenting on directly on their webpage, but here I will take issue with the Momusian idea of 'user-friendly Orientalism' (my own coinage, but note that the idea is that the capital 'O' has been put back in 'orientalism'). In fact, I'd like to issue a special challenge to Momus himself. Nick, for a man of your disposition, this kind of regurgitational essay is a little easier than shooting fish in a barrel. (Errr...I should try to make a clever joke about 'kingyosukui' right now, but nothing comes to me).

So, why not open out that steel-trap mind of yours in a different direction? Of course what I am suggesting is merely a little game of turnabout, which, as they say, is fair play...child's play in fact for someone of your intellectual stature. You yourself have spent a considerable amount of time and energy over the past few years berating 'the West' - your own special way of "reaching, teaching and reforming" your own culture, I presume. And granted it was in need of a fair share of it, if not more, but all of this has, recently turned into the 'same song, second verse', hasn't it?

Therefore, I'd like to ask you to write a non-ironic essay on the following topic: 'Occidentalism is a virtue.' Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking you to say good things about Plato (gasp!) or anything so tastless. I'm just trying to find out what the 'good' things from the West are, if indeed there are any. Anyway, if that isn't your cup of tea, you could also fullfil this formal challenge by penning something on this topic: 'Occidentalism is a vice' (Please observe my capital 'O', ok?)

Looking forward to your reply, which will doubtless shatter the silence that speaks for you until then in a most compelling way.

Regards,

R. K. Duckworth, Esq.


GLITCHING THROUGH 

GLITCHING THROUGH

Starrdom? 

Dear God!

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Tsunami addicition - Sometimes I agree with Plato 

I'm glad the plug was pulled on this one! Freedom of speech is nothing without ethics.

Good Day Bookworm 

Just finished making my montly pilgrimage to the various used book shrines in Tokyo. It was the usual list of culprits. This time, just by chance I finished my rounds at Good Day Books, where I picked up the following gems:

Modern Japanese Daries - Donald Keene (I'm doing a general survey of Japanese Lit. at the moment, and this will be a perfect addition to my ever-growing pile of as-yet-unread books!)
The Use of Pleasure - Foucault (I remember Roddy talking about this book. I've read part one already.)
Love's Body - Norman O. Brown (I remember Cage talking about this book...)
The Confessions of Lady Nijo - Trans. Karen Brazell (Is SHE fake too, Marxy?)

By the way, I'd been in Good Day Books several times, but I'd never been able to screw up enough courage to talk to the owner. Today I was in rare form (it must be the weather), and so I managed to make a few obtuse remarks about the 'used book business' being a little like the antique business, with which I am somewhat familiar (my mother was for many years a self-employed antique dealer in the atlanta area, now retired). To my surprise, he concurred, and an interesting conversation was struck up. I managaed to twist his arm enough into us having drinks sometime soon at the watering hole downstairs. Looking forward to getting an earful of the ins-and-outs of the used book trade in Tokyo from an insider's perspective. You'll be the first to get the post game review. Stay tuned.

Cheers,
Robert "Bobby D." Duckworth, Esq.

EST 

Just got done reading "Eastern Standard Tribe" by Cory Coctorow. Thanks for the tip on this book, you know who!

Ars longa vita brevis 

Sometime last year, I was given a list of 10 works of art (in various fields) that, because of their 'unique' nature (Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!) have stood/will stand the test of time. The list was put together by Tim Page at The Washington Post. Here's Tim's list. You be the judge:

Robert Burton: "The Anatomy of Melancholy (1621)
Ludwig van Beethoven: "Grosse Fuge" (1826)
Alessandro Moreschi: "The Last Castrato" (1902-1904)
D.W. Griffith: "Intolerance" (1916)
James Joyce: "Ulysses" (1922)
John Cage: "4'33" "(1952)
Alain Resnais: "Last Year at Marienbad" (1962)
Alvin Lucier: "I Am Sitting in a Room" (1970)
Thomas Pynchon: "Gravity's Rainbow" (1973)
Maya Lin: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1982)

I'd love to have a peep at YOUR lists too. Also, I should say that I felt like this list was a little 'European' top-heavy, so if you have non-English and non-European pearls that you are hiding...feel free to post them up here as a comment, or send them to me at [glitchslaptko at yahoo dot co dot jp]. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Robert


Oh, whisky you're me darlin' drunk or sober! 



Thanks to my habit of taking to the bottle, I now have a lifetime lease on a square foot of the Isle of Islay in Scotland. Take a gander at my certificate here.


Before the quake 

Once again just for good measure. There is an interesting discussion going on over at David's blog about the "Impermancence of Japanese Architecture". This ties in nicely with some of my recent pennings on the homeless. Anyway, if you have time and an opinion, drop by.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

THAC-0 



I post again the infamous Canonical List of Famous Last Words to my blog, this in honor of the old album by Mae-Shi - To Hit Armor Class Zero. Thanks boys, and keep up the good work!


Cat fight! 

Just finished reading...



The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon



The Diary of Lady Murasaki
and



Sarashina Nikki back to back.
Meow...

A bouncing baby girl! 




Happy Fatherhood, Prof. Furukawa!

Denial all the way 

It looks like David is also thinking about dwellings. Nice. Now if I can just get the other guys to talk to me again...

SHAKING THROUGH 

SHAKING THROUGH

Yellow like a geisha gown 

Could it be that one small voice doesn't count in the world?
Yellow like a geisha gown, denial all the way
Could this by three be turned? Honor marches on.
Yellow like a geisha gown, denial all the way

Shaking through, opportune. Shaking through, opportune.

Are we grown way too far?
Taking after rain
Yellow like a geisha gown, denial all the way
Shaking through, opportune. Shaking through, opportune.

In my life.

Is that a steal?
Children of today on parade,
Yellow like a geisha gown, denial all the way
Shaking through, opportune. Shaking through, opportune.
Shaking through, opportune. Shaking through, opportune.

Home is where the heart is 

You are probably at home right now. Or you are at work wishing you were at home. In any event, why not read up on how Nagoya cleared out the tents of homeless people in a park this week ahead of the upcoming Aichi Expo. Fuck it. I'll just go ahead and quote the whole thing in full here. (Sorry for the language. I'm in a mood today.)


Nagoya clears out tents of homeless in park ahead of Aichi Expo


Tuesday, January 25, 2005 at 07:23 JST

NAGOYA The Nagoya municipal government on Monday removed the tents of homeless people in a park in the center of the city, in a move said to be connected with the opening in March of the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture.


Supporters of homeless people denounced the forceful measure in midwinter, saying the city government just wants to hide the homeless from public view before tourists start arriving in Nagoya, the prefectural capital, for the expo. The city government said last year that the tents "prevent appropriate use of the park and maintenance work" and asked the homeless people to leave. (Kyodo News)


I swear to God these people make my job so easy sometimes...but just to play devil's advocate, let's hop over to the colorful and merry Aichi Expo page and get an earful. (I'm going to link right past the bullshit FLASH introductions and jump to the English frontpage. Sorry, but I hate snotty-nosed little FLASH animations. Squish!)


Here is their CONCEPT page. (Did I mention how much I love CONCEPT pages. Smash!)


Here is my deconstructed version of their very non-ironic CONCEPT page. [My comments are in bold brackets, like this.] Remember, from here on out the BAD GUYS are in normal type. Anyway, enjoy!


--------------------------------------------


EXPO 2005 Message (Fluffy mascots pictured below in action poses!!!)





[Ebullient Xenophobic Politico Ossan-tachi 2005 Message (Chipper mascots pictured below au naturel. NOTE: If these were color pictures, these guys would still be black and white.)]



Hiroshi "Keloid" Suzuki



Ken "犬食い" Matsumoto


The 20th century saw the formation of a new global society. The remarkable progress made in science and technology, the development of high-speed methods of transportation, and the evolution of information and communications technologies have all accelerated the global interchange of people, goods, and information to an unbelievable extent. The world has been truly transformed.



[And yet a generation of 'post-Bubble' economic failures never made it up to the ivory towers of futuristic universities and have been left floundering in the flotsam and jetsam of this 'progress' ever since...while living in the shadow of other, even more surreal towers of economic art-Babel...





...Boy, I'm glad they spent reams of cash on THAT project! Hey guys, by the way, can anyone guess what supremely IRONIC exhibit is up at pinnacle gallery of The Fortress of Solipsism this month? That's right! It is 'ARCHILAB: New Experiments in Architecture, Art and the City. I couldn't have timed this better if I had planned it myself. I wen't and saw the exhibit the other day (student discount) with the Aichi homeless situation in mind, and I couldn't help thinking that for all their utopianism and their grand ideas about the modern miracles of housing in the years to come, it would have been far more "rad" and "artsy" if they would have just built a bunch of "container houses" for the homeless folks of Japan right here, right now. They had the plans on display in the Mori gallery! The price of the tickets could have been donated to defer the building expenses. Heck, they could even use some of the leftover shelter modules from the Nigata flooding and earthquakes. But the problem here is then all the Japanese ARHIshoegazer kids would be like, "NO FAIR!!! I wanna have a totally tubular inflatable pod-thingy in MY living room too!!!" Nope, we couldn't stand for that, could we?]


Human beings' seemingly insatiable desire for expansion, the source of this transformation, continues unabated. This has placed a tremendous burden on the natural environment, exceeding its capacity for self-recovery. The result is that we must now deal with a number of potential world crises.



[Most of the insatiable folks on Earth got to be that way by buying into the Enlightment lock, stock and barrel. The only problem is that the guys who came up witht the Enlightment were...ummm...GUYS (and white, and from the Northern Hemisphere, and had slaves, and you know how the rest of this story goes, right?). But it would really take a lot of gumption to call the squatters in Aichi part of this "insatiable" human element...or WOULD IT??? Yeah, they LOOK really peaceful and all, cat-napping in their blue veneer sheet shantytowns, but they were really just planning this kind of Homeless Global Slow Life Empire...




Yes, that's right! They were plotting to gobbe up all of the precious discarded umbrella resources of Japan and the other 'civilized' countries and (gasp!) recycle them and sell them for a small profit. Today Aichi, tomorrow, the world!!! (Cue arpeggiated, fully-dimimished seventh chords NOW) Hey guys, thanks for getting rid of public-enemy number one. But just before you smugly pat yourselves on the back, it looks like the REAL world crisis we are facing the one which EVERY man (and woman, hi ladies!) faces when dealing with his own inhumanity towards his fellow man. Three cheers for the new inhumanitarianism!!! Banzai, Banzai, Banzai!!!]


The time has come for the people who make up the global society of the 21st century to work together in the pursuit of a sustainable and harmonious coexistence for all life on Earth. Paramount to this is a global perspective.



Here is some harmonious coexistence for you EXPO motherfuckers!!!




Yeah, that's right! Men and women living together in peace and harmony...cooking together, and without a TV it looks like they are actually having a little old fashioned CONVERSATION...and pretty cheaply at that, I might add. How much did YOU pay for your KEYMONEY, DEPOSIT and GIFTMONEY for your apartment anyway?


EXPO 2005 Aichi, Japan, is the perspective we need.



[Just the perspective we need...sans all homeless bastards. Whoops! I know, if we just close our eyes long enough, perhaps they'll all just disappear. They tend to die young anyway.]


The inspiration for EXPO 2005 is the marvelous mechanism of nature and the power of life. Learning from the world's vast collection of wisdom and methods of interaction with nature found around the globe, we hope to bring the world together for the creation of a global society allowing the multitude of cultures and civilizations to coexist together.



With multilateralism like this, who needs apartheid?


EXPO 2005 will be a focal point, acting as the loom for a wonderful creation. The theme of the EXPO-Nature's Wisdom-will be the vertical thread in this loom and rich and varied exchange-a Grand Intercultural Symphony- the horizontal. When woven together, they will produce a soft, rich and beautiful fabric. Perhaps the fabric for a wonderful new global society. The participants of EXPO 2005, the nations, regions, private enterprises, independent citizens, NPOs/NGOs, and volunteers that form the backbone of global society, will be the weavers on this loom, sure to produce a wondrous fabric for the world.



Again, what we have here is a case of 'the emperor has no clothes'...but I'd rather not involve Mr. Andersen in this ruckus. Why don't they get all Koolhaas on us and start doing citations of Dutch squatter's rights?


Closer contact will naturally give rise to friction-the very reason we wish to carefully nurture reason, love, and the adoration of the objects of beauty that humankind possesses. These are sentiments the world over.



[Right. Ummm...I'd like to remind the nice folks out there who spend Monday night in a warm bed or dozing under a toasty kotatsu that the homeless folks in Nagoya were forced from their dwellings in the middle of winter. Here is a weather report for the Nagoya area for the evening of Monday, Jan. 24th. As the report clearly states, factoring in the moisture, the temperature got down to a cozy -2℃ that evening, with windspeeds peaking at 7km/h. I'm sure the disenfranchised denizens of Aichi had other things besides aesthetics on their minds.




Here is a sample of an ACTUAL CONVERSATION that took place between our cute little HOMELESS mascot friends Hiroshi and Ken (you remember them, right?)


Hiroshi (huddled next to Ken in order to conserve bodyheat): Hey, it is getting pretty c-c-cold...

Ken: Yeah, I know. D-d-d-o you think it is safe to go back to the park?

Hiroshi: I don't know. They said that if we went back, they would throw us in jail.

Ken (every breath he breathes turns into icy smoke): But it w-w-would probably be warmer in jail than out here in the middle of nowhere!

Hiroshi (shivering): Yeah, you've got a point! And I need to go back and get some of my s-s-stuff. I heard it is going to rain tomorrow, and as part of our diabolical plan to take over the world one 傘 at a time, I need to go back and g-g-g-ather my umbrellas together so I can sell them to the foolish "non-homeless" ones! Damn them.

Ken (tries to give his friend a low-five, but his arm will not extend fully): Yeah!

Cop (getting in a parting shot at the two for being...well, homeless...before going home to his home): Isn't this great? Now that we have removed you scum from the park, people from all over the world will be able to come to our peaceful island of Japan and contemplate "reason, love, and the adoration of the objects of beauty that humankind possesses".

Ken: I think my t-t-testicles are f-frozen solid.


...and so on and so forth until death do they part...happy pills and chills...indeed!


But what will be the catalyst for genuine exchange? We believe the answer to be people meeting people, followed by discourse that goes beyond words to achieve mutual understanding and respect. EXPO 2005 Aichi, Japan, is the place for this intercultural exchange.





[Ummm...what about INTRAcultural exchange? Pardon the neologism, but don't you guys have the box before The Box Man?]


In 2005, the world will gather together in Aichi Prefecture. There, we can weave together a fabric for a new global society; we can stand together, exchange smiles and share the wisdom of the world-felt and enjoyed with all our senses and experienced with our whole being.


[What is actually being woven over in Aichi is a fantastic web of total bullshit. Don't get caught up in it, and don't believe the hype!]


Let us do this for all life and the future of our planet!



[Last time I checked, the planet will be fine -- perhaps even better off -- without us pesky humans! And even if we fuck everything up and vaporize ourselves in a planet-wide nuclear war, or punch big-ass holes in the ozone layer or whatever, the planet will go on without us, however WE are the ones who can't go on like this.]


Tuesday, January 25, 2005

NEOLOGISM (IN A POOR HAND) 

NEOLOGISM (IN A POOR HAND)

Sunday, January 23, 2005

NEW HAIRSTYLE(OF THE DEVIL)? 

NEW HAIRSTYLE(OF THE DEVIL)?

NEW BOOK 

NEW BOOK

Saturday, January 22, 2005

REPING THESE 

REPING THESE

RE-MAPPING CHEESE 

RE-MAPPING CHEESE

Friday, January 21, 2005

RE-LEARNING USA 

RE-LEARNING USA

LEARNING CHINESE 

LEARNING CHINESE

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

KACHIKU 

KACHIKU

THAT'S YOU KNOW WHO IN THE CORNER,LOSING HIS FAITH IN MUSIC 

THAT'S YOU KNOW WHO IN THE CORNER,LOSING HIS FAITH IN MUSIC

THAT'S LU-HSUN(PEACE BE UPON HIM)IN THE CORNER 

THAT'S LU-HSUN(PEACE BE UPON HIM)IN THE CORNER

THAT'S ME IN THE CORNER 

THAT'S ME IN THE CORNER

Sunday, January 16, 2005

NOT FASHION STATEMENTS,BUT RATHER,FASHION QUESTIONS! 

NOT FASHION STATEMENTS,BUT RATHER,FASHION QUESTIONS!

LAUTREAMONT ALSO SAYS: 

LAUTREAMONT ALSO SAYS:

LAUTREAMONT SAYS: 

LAUTREAMONT SAYS:

Saturday, January 15, 2005

BA-BOO 

BA-BOO

YO,YO! 

YO,YO!

Friday, January 14, 2005

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE 

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE

Thursday, January 13, 2005

SEKAI WA HIROI, YO BABY! 

SEKAI WA HIROI, YO BABY!

SANTA UPSKIRT 

SANTA UPSKIRT

SPIKE 

SPIKE

I SHIT YOU NOT! 

I SHIT YOU NOT!

BLOW-UP 

BLOW-UP

1UP 

1UP

THINKING ABOUT LU HSUN & CHE AND NOT BLOWING SHIT UP 

THINKING ABOUT LU HSUN & CHE AND NOT BLOWING SHIT UP

Monday, January 10, 2005

NEW ALBUM (?) RELEASE! 

UPDATE, UPDATE!!!
SORRY FOR HAVING TO UPDATE THIS AGAIN, but...
I've been SWAMPED with a bunch of thing during the 年末年始 period, and so I wasn't able to get my album (yes, the title is 'karaoke a cappella') released before 2004 was done. So I've just decided to release it as a first quarter 2005 effort. Thanks for your patience! Also, if you sent me an email requesting a free copy, DON'T WORRY! You WILL get one in the mail, probably around the end of January. So far I've had a few dozen requests, but I'm still willing to extend the request deadline until next weekend if there is anyone else out there who was thinking about asking for one. Step right up and send me an email at

glitchslaptko at yahoo dot co dot jp

IN OTHER NEWS, I will also be doing at least two other albums this year, one as a collaboration with a 'special friend' and another all by myself.

Over and out,
R.


UPDATE!!!

Due to the overwhelming response thusfar, the number of total freebie copies will be extended. If you want a copy, don't hesitate, just email. There are quite a few more copies on the pile over here.

FURTHERMORE!!!

Some of you have sent in the same questions, so I'll respond here...

Q: Is the title really 'karaoke a cappella'? I mean, come on!
A: Yes, but there's a catch. You'll see.

Q: How long is this album?
A: It is, like the person who made it, full-length.

Q: Is this just another fruitless Robertesque scam that will never pay off?
A: Probably, but wouldn't you be sorry if you missed out?

Q: What is the genre of this supposed 'release'?
A: Hummm, that is a tough one. I'd have to say a kind of field-recording, but then again not.

Q: Is this that collaboration thing that you've been talking about releasing for a while?
A: No. This is a totally different (solo) project.

Q: What name will this be released under?
A: Not sure at this point. You'll probably know as soon as I do.

Q: Will you be touring or doing any shows in support of this new album?
A: Yes, I plan on doing shows in America, Europe and Japan in 2005. I'll post the tour dates up here as soon as possible.

Q: What ARE you anyway? An avant-garde musician? A laptop geek? A failed writer? The most hated man in Ikebukuro?
A: I consider myself a 文化人. Most others consider me a 一発屋. The truth is probably somewhere in between.

Q: Is this just another holiday album full of maudlin love songs and baudy ballads?
A: While I do admit that any love song I'd have to sing would by default have to be a stupid one, this album contains none. Also, there are no baudy ballads to be found anywhere. I have dispensed with all manner of ribaldry this time out.
--------------------
To whom,

I'll be releasing a VERY LIMITED album this week, so I guess all of you will just have to REVISE your tidy little 'best of 2004' lists, since I have a whole lot of faith in this puppy. It is a full-length album, with lots of fun cover art and such. Anyway, the first 10 people will get a free copy (along with some bonus goodies)! Just email me [glitchslaptko at yahoo dot co dot jp] with your name and snail mail address and I promise it will be in your mailbox before New Year's Day. Oh, the title is [karaoke a cappella].

Kiss,
R.

I've told them a hundred times: put Spinal Tap first and Puppet Show last. 

http://www.rubenimichi.com/mascotas.html

Welcome back!



Mas or Rat? 



I'm reading Mouse or Rat? by Eco these days, a book that deals with the fun to be had with translations. Anyway, that got me thinking about my friend Mas in LA (who is a superb musician, and also has a funky kanji name that even most Japanese people can't write to boot). I'm sure you'll like the way he thinks/writes about food.



He and I used to drive all over LA looking for good ramen. We found (and devoured) a lot! I also like the fact that he did a very interesting translation recently of one of my favorite Japanese writers, Murakami Haruki. Here's a little bit of what Mas writes on his webpage...

"I also realized that whenever he wrote about cooking food, his descriptions practically let me taste it in my mouth. Somehow there are lot of pastas in his novel.I picked up a collection of his fairly old short stories in Tokyo. There is a story titled "In a year of spaghetti." Because it was short, I decided to translate it for fun. There may be some grammatical errors. This seemingly trivial project turned out to be pretty hard. I might do few more if I feel like it..."

Here are a few lines of his translation...

1971 - it was a year of spaghetti.

In 1971, I boiled spaghetti to live, and lived to boil spaghetti. Steam rising from an aluminum pot was my pride, and tomato sauce simmering in a saucepan was my hope. I got a gigantic aluminum pot that could even be used to bath a German Shepherd; bought a cooking timer; went around different international grocery stores to gather strangely named condiments; found a technical book on spaghetti at a foreign bookseller; and bought tomatoes by the dozen.

Interested? You can read more HERE. Mas, for all you do, this 替え玉's for you!

New reads 

Now reading the 'Tsurezuregusa' by Kenko.
Also browsing 'A History of Japan' by R.H.P. Mason & J.G. Caiger.

Meow! 

Hi here sir.

Sunday, January 9, 2005

Distant, early warning! 

DEW,
Sooner than later, the various and sundry images of a veritable bevy of extra-special guest photobloggers (you know who you are) will be gracing the pages of the heretofore raggdy-ass glitchslaptko with their presence. Thus far, I've extended a handful of invites to some trusted 'friends' here and there, and if things go well (I have the utmost confidence that they will), I think I'd like to invite a few other folks to join in. So if you are just itchin' to get some images up here on this blog -- which as far as my little recently re-installed 'sitemeter' thingamajin tells me gets bokoo hits in all the colours of the rainbow, even the "unacceptable ones" -- just drop me a line. Unless you are a total zoid, I'm sure we can work something out.
Kiss,
R.

抱き犬 


I just got done digesting a very interesting (and very verbose - kudos!) comment that my Japanese friend Ei-Ichi posted up on my blog regarding this little bit of nothing that I wrote the other day about, among other things, the transformative potential of studying a language.

Anyway, I liked what he said so much, so I just thought I would bring his comment up from the depths to the top of the page so that everyone (who can read Japanese - his comments are way too subtle for any web translation page) could enjoy it. Oh, I added a few pics here and there just to spice things up.

So, thanks again for all of your time and your creative energies, Ei-Ichi...and by the way, don't listen to Momus when he tells you that we don't understand Japan. Let him have his 'chimerical Nippon'...in spades! You and I will keep it real, dog!

Bowwowwowyippyyoyippyyay,
Bobby "Heavy" D.
----------
Ei-ichiです。

ロバートの "the language will master ME" 体験は面白いね。それについての考察は、今後もさまざまな言語を学びながら、ぜひ続けてほしいと思う。哲学的な側面から言うと、ぼくは以前にも少し話したとおり、ヘーゲルとラカンの理論を使って現代日本人の自我構造を分析しようとしている。



ラカン Jacques Lacan (1901-1981) は、「われわれの自我の形成はシニフィアンの連鎖と関連している」と言っている。つまり、言語というのは、個人の意志によって自由に組み立てたり分解できたりするレゴ・ブロックみたいなものではなくて、それ自身が互いにつながろうとする、ある「まとまり」とか「慣性」の力を持っている、さらに言語がもつそういう力がわれわれの自我に影響を与える、ということだ。だから、われわれが言葉を話しているときには、ある意味で、言葉に「話させられている」ということが言える。



パース C.S.Peirce(1839-1914)も別のアプローチから似たようなことを言っていて、彼は「私の言語は私自身の総体である」、つまり人間とは言語である、と言っている。こうしたラカンやパースの思想を総括して、ウンベルト・エコ Umberto Eco(1932-)は、「人は話していると信じているときでさえ、実は彼が用いるもろもろの記号を支配している規則によって話されているのだ。」と言っている(Umberto Eco, "Segno", 1973)。

こうした観点からすれば、言語とは単なる「道具」ではありえない。新たな言語を習得するということは、新たな一つの世界観、ものの考え方を学ぶと言うことに他ならない。それは、その言語が持つ独特のリズムやイントネーション、語の連なり方の法則が与える影響のもとに自己をさらすということであって、そのことによって新しい別の人格が私の内部に形成される。こういう経験をわれわれはする。



ロバートの"the language will master ME" 体験は、上記ラカンやパース、エコの指摘した、言語はそれ独自の自律性をもつ、という理論とつながるところがある。哲学史的には、これは20世紀の哲学がソシュール Ferdinand de Saussure(1857-1913)に端を発する「言語論的転回」 linguistic turnと呼ばれる後戻りできない里程標を通過したのちの、思想的状況と関わっていると指摘できるけれども、ロバート自身の体験の独自性は、そうした思想史的な説明には吸収しきれない面白さを含んでいると思う。ここは大事なところだ。

ソシュール以後の欧米の言語論的論争は、構造か主体か、言語か人間か、という二元論的な論争に陥りがちだった。二元論と言うけれども、これは実は一元的な決定を志向している点で、一元論的だ。日本人のように、明治以来、日本語と英語(もしくはその他の欧米言語)を学ぶことを余儀なくされてきた立場からすると、こういう「言語か私か」という一元論的な議論は、本心からなじめないところがある。事態はもっと重層的ではないか、われわれは複数の言語をマスターすることによって、複数の人格を使い分けているのではないか、こういう体験を多くの日本人がしているからだね。

ロバートの説明するような "the language will master ME"というのは、一元論的な論争とは無縁の、実体験に根ざしたおもしろさを含んでいる。英語のセンテンスで表現すると、"I hope the language will master ME"ということになるけれども、これには'I'と'ME'という二つの自己が含まれている。ロバートはある意味で自分が言語に征服されることを望んでいるわけだけれども、それを望んでいる自分というのは、そのときに別に保たれるわけだ。つまり、日本語に征服された自分というのがありながら、一方で、それについての自意識も保たれている。仮にここでそれらの関係を、各「言語的自我」linguistic self とそれを意識している「超自我」super self と名づけることにしても良い。その詳しい構造分析は、ここでは省くけれども、こういう言語と人格にまつわる多重性を意識した話を、ぼくが欧米人から実体験として聞くのは初めてだった。だから、ぼくはロバートの話をとても面白いと思ったんだ。



ところで、ぼくが、「英語はぼくにとって<道具>にすぎない」ということを言うときには、実はそこには単純には割り切れない思いがある。もちろんぼくは、自分自身の外国語習得の経験と、哲学的な理論を支えとして、一つの言語をよく学ぶと言うことはその言語に即した新たな人格を身につけることに他ならない、と言うことはよく理解している。要するに、英語を話すときには、英語キャラにならないとうまく話せない、ということだね。日本人の人格を保ったまま、英語を話すことは不可能だ。ぼくも、ロバートと同じように、こうした人格の切り換え(switch)をある面では楽しむ境地に達している。そうでなければ、英語を話すことができるようにはならなかったからね。

ただし、一方で、ぼくの場合には、「そうすることを余儀なくされた」という思いがつねにある。そこがロバートとはちがうところだと思う。 要するに、ぼく自身の母国語である日本語は世界的には少数派の言語であるわけで、ぼく自身が世界に通用する学者になりたいと思ったときには、否が応でも英語を習得し、英語で発信することを余儀なくされるわけだ。また、もちろん、日本人の自我構造について深く思索を行いたいと思ったときにも、近代日本人の自我構造は西洋文明の影響を抜きにしてはとうてい語れないし、西洋哲学の伝統は圧倒的に強力なものであり、その道具立てを使わずして説得力ある日本自我論の構成はまず不可能だ。ということになると、西洋哲学を否が応でも勉強せねばならず、必然的に、ドイツ語やフランス語、はてはギリシャ語、ラテン語まで学習することを余儀なくされる。これには膨大な努力が必要となるわけで、たいていの日本人はこの膨大な努力を前にして挫折する。そしてロバートも言うところの「島国根性」に閉じこもることになる。この豊かで居心地の良い日本国内でくつろぐことができるなら、なぜ厳しい外の世界に好んで出て行く必要があるだろう、となるわけだ。

こうなってくると、人格の切り換えを楽しむどころではない。どうしても、楽しむことを余儀なくされた、と言わざるを得ない部分が出てきてしまう。この「余儀なくされた」という部分を、ぼくは、自分の主体性のために、どうしても肯定的にとらえかえす必要がある。つまり、「言語習得は自分にとっては<道具>の習得に他ならず、それを使って成し遂げたい目的がある、その目的こそが自分自身だ」と言いたいわけだね。

個々の言語人格を超越して統括する主体性、いわば超自我(Super Ego)がそこで積極的に(positive)肯定される「必要」がある。なぜなら、その超自我そのものはもともと否定的/消極的(negetive)に生まれたものだから。「余儀なくされた」というかたちでね。

ロバートは、その点については正直で、「自分は母国語が世界共通語である幸運のもとに生まれたからこそ、他の言語の習得をいわば趣味として楽しむことができる」と言っている。この率直さは好意と尊敬に値する。大いに評価したいと思う。ただ、考えてほしいのは、他言語の習得や人格の切りかえを楽しむことができると言う時に、ロバートはその「楽しむことができる」超自我(Super Ego)を保持しているということだ。この「楽しむことができる」超自我は、ロバートの場合、否定的な契機で生みだされたものではないから、それはそのまま肯定されている。



そのこと自体は、なんら非難されるべきものではない。ただ、非英語圏の人間はそうした超自我の誕生を「余儀なくされる」都合上、どうしても単純にそれを楽しむわけにはいかない感情がそこにつきまとう、ということをロバートは知っていても良い。それこそが、非英語圏に住む人間が抱え込まざるを得ない自分の主体性についての倫理的な問題なんだ。こうした倫理性の問題は、実は、たとえ欧米であっても、ほとんどの国が多かれ少なかれ抱えている問題だと思う。ただ一つ、アメリカという幸運な国を除いてね。ポール・ヴィリリオというフランス人が言おうとしていたことも、そうした観点から理解できる。ぼくが考えているのは、そんなようなことだ。

ここから先は、互いに非常に厳しい(tough)な議論になると思うけど、こうした問題についてロバートと今後、じっくり、生産的に論じることができると良いと思っている。あわてる必要はない。まず、たがいの議論がうまくかみ合うまでに、しばらくいろいろと摩擦があるだろうと思う。それくらい、互いの前提としているものが異なる。 たとえば、以下は、オリジナルの「鉢の木会」(194?-196?)のメンバーの一人である福田恆存 FUKUDA Aritsune(1912-1994)という思想家が、日本の状況について語った言葉だ。こうした自意識を持ってしまっているという事実から、日本の知識人たちはつねに出発しなければならなかった。

「私たちにとつて西洋はもう伝統のひとつです。明治以来そろそろ百年過ぎてゐます。この百年を無視して、明治維新の時のやうに直すわけに行かない、どんな悪いことがあつても直すことができない。 西洋を伝統にしていかないと、この百年がむだになつてしまふのです。この百年を生かすためには、過去の日本をひとつの伝統とすると同時に、西洋の過去も伝統とする必要があると思ひます。西洋は輸入元ぢやない、日本のインテリにとつては西洋は故郷です。」(「新劇と伝統」1964年)



もちろん、上記のような考え方は、ロバートが今興味を持っている三島由紀夫の思想とは対立するね。三島由紀夫 MISHIMA Yukio(1925-1970)、福田恆存 FUKUDA Aritsune(1912-1994)、吉田健一 YOSHIDA Kenichi(1912-1977)、大岡昇平 OOKA Shouhei(1909-1988) といった文学家・思想家たちは「鉢の木会」と呼ばれる場所で、こうした問題について活発に議論したんだ。三島由紀夫は彼独自の方法で「日本的なるもの」を再興しようとしたし、福田恆存は「日本的なるもの」の虚構性、欺瞞性を問題にした。一方、吉田健一は彼がイギリス留学中に身につけたアングロ・サクソン的洗練へ向けて日本文化をたたき直そうとした。いずれも、日本的状況に対して、真剣に考えていたことはまちがいない。

ぼく自身も、最終的には、日本人は日本人的な超自我の生成を肯定的にとらえていくしかないと考えている。日本人の運が良かったところ、しかし同時に不幸でもあったことは、この国が島国であり、どんなに海外との経済的な交流が盛んになろうとも、言語的にはおおむね一つの文化圏を維持できてきた、というところだ。だから、超自我の生成を悲劇的にとらえ、ルサンチマンの温床として維持することができた。日本人独特の自虐的な日本人観はここから生じると思う。実際、本当の意味で「言語に征服される」という厳しい状況にさらされたならば、征服についての悲劇的な自意識、ルサンチマン的な超自我などというものの存在すら許されないはずだ。だから、日本人の置かれてきた状況、征服とそれについての過剰な自意識(being conquered and intense self-consciousness on it)というのは、ある意味では、ぬるま湯的な幸福な状況だったのだろう。なぜなら、本当の征服というものは、それについての自意識すら許さないものであろから(True conquest doesn't allow self-consciousness in it)。

しかし、今後、いつまでも日本国内に日本人だけの楽園を保つことはできない。日本人は、井の中の蛙であることから脱しなければならない。だから、日本人は日本人的な超自我の生成を肯定的にとらえていくしかないと考えている。そのために必要なのは、ルサンチマン抜きのマルクス主義、鍛えなおされた唯物論的認識(Marxism without ressentiment or reborn materialistic philosophy)だろうと思っている。



ただ一つ、ぼくが言いたかったのは、上記のような、消極的に発生した超自我を肯定的にしていかなければならないという、難しく解きがたい「ねじれ」があるために、日本人が日本について考える日本人論は、必要以上に難しくなってしまうと言うことだ。このねじれに取り組むと、抜け出せない自己言及の迷宮に入り込んでしまう。

実は、かつて、この迷宮を抜け出すのにもっとも簡単に利用できる明快な社会理論は、マルクス主義だったという経緯がある。何にせよ、マルクス主義は、社会によって個人が規定されているという消極性(negativity)を、階級闘争という概念装置を通すことで、革命運動という肯定性(positivity)に転化する理論だからね。抑圧されている労働者こそが革命の主体となる、というあれだ。この論理の飛躍には、日本人的な「ねじれ」の状況によく適合する部分があるわけだ。おそらく、ここに多くの良心的な日本人知識人が、左翼思想に傾倒した理由がある。言い換えれば、ニーチェが批判したように、ヨーロッパにおいて抑圧されている者の怨恨(ルサンチマン)を積極性へと転倒したキリスト教と同じような役割を、日本においてはマルクス主義が果たしたわけだ。

だけれども、彼らはマルクス主義も結局、西洋思想だ、という壁にぶち当たる。自分たちの「ねじれ」を解きほぐすのに、西洋の思想を借りなければならないという矛盾。そこに潜む危険性は、結局、われわれ自身の固有性などというものは存在しないのではないか、われわれはただ社会それ自身の弁証法的な運動の契機にすぎないのではないか、という結論に至る危険性だ。そこでは、私の、あるいは日本固有の主体性が、大文字の主体性に解消されてしまうことになる。そしてソ連が崩壊した今、そうした大文字の主体性さえ虚構であることがいっそう露わになってしまった。

この私固有の、あるいは日本固有の主体性の消失を嫌うところに、右翼思想の動機はあったのではないか。だが、右翼思想は矛盾を抱えないかわりに、欺瞞を抱えることにはならないか。それはどこかに本当の純粋な「日本的なものがある」と自らに信じ込ませる欺瞞である。そんなものはどこにもないのに。超自我というのは、諸自我の摩擦、軋轢が生み出す空虚な自我、空白としての私に他ならない。その超自我が土着のものに自らの起源を見いだそうとするのは、初めから無理な試みなのだ。最も純粋な右翼であった三島由紀夫が自決することで自分の生き方に決着を付けねばならなかったことが、おそらくそのことを示していると言えるのではないか。革命という矛盾の止揚の対局としての、自決という欺瞞の昇華。

ところで、さらにもう一つ、忘却という道がある。「ねじれ」に取り組まずに、ただ過去の経緯を忘却してポジティブな未来を論じようとする立場だ。しかし、このような立場は過去の理論の蓄積を無視することになるため、どうしても論が浅くなってしまい、説得力に欠けてしまう。そのため、決して知識人層の支持は得られない。おおかたの日本人の状況は、実は、この「忘却」という態度に一番近いのではないかとさえ思えるのだが、知識人は、自らに課した責任のために、この「忘却」という第三の道を取ることができない。

こうして日本人による日本人論は、固く解きほぐせない「ゴルディアスの結び目」へ至る。そして、ぼくが自らの哲学に課した課題というのは、まさにこの「ゴルディアスの結び目」を解きほぐすことである。

(全くの余談だが、ぼくの大好きな作家である小松左京 KOMATSU Sakyoに、「ゴルディアスの結び目」という短編作品がある。これは人間の魂の癒しの問題とブラックホール理論とを結びつけた力作だ。)



最後にもう一度くりかえすけれども、ロバートの "the language will master ME" は非常にすぐれた洞察だし、ぼくは米国人として他言語を習得しながらそのような認識にいたったロバートの柔軟な思考力、自己分析力を高く評価している。ロバートのその認識は、必要不可欠な出発点だと思う。そのような出発点からのみ、言語と自我についての深い議論へ進むことができる。言語が私を支配する、という事実に対して、否定的な感情をともなわないロバートの態度は、ぼくの思考に一つの可能性を示唆している。ロバートの経験と考察の助けを借りることで、ぼくは日本人の超自我をめぐる考察の消極的な迷路に入りこむことを避けることができそうだ、と感じている。

さっきも言ったとおり、目指したいのは、怨恨(ルサンチマン)をともなわないマルクス主義(Marxism without ressentiment)ってことだ。しかし、これが言うのは簡単でも、実現するのはなかなか難しい。なぜかというと、マルクス主義はつねに怨恨(ルサンチマン)の昇華に利用されてきた歴史があるから。過去のマルクス主義の思想と活動の歴史がぼくらを縛る。しかし、ぼくたちはもしできるなら、ヘーゲル、マルクス、アルチュセール、ラカンといった思想家の思想のもつ力はそのままに、彼らの理論を怨恨の歴史から解き放って使うことにしたい。日本という国では、そのような試みはつねにつぶされていく傾向にあるけれども、ぼくたちはとことんしぶとく、そうした傾向に抵抗して行きたいと思っている。

最後にもう一つ、福田恆存の言葉を引用する。

「自然のま々に生きるといふ。だが、これほど誤解されたことばもない。もともと人間は自然のままに生きることを欲してゐないし、それに堪へられもしないのである。程度の差こそあれ、だれでもが、なにかの役割を演じたがつてゐる。また演じてもゐる。ただそれを意識してゐないだけだ。さういへば、多くのひとは反発を感じるであらう。芝居がかつた行為にたいする反感、さういふ感情はたしかに存在する。ひとびとはそこに虚偽を見る。だが、理由はかんたんだ。一口にいへば、芝居がへたなのである。 生きがひとは、必然性のうちに生きてゐるといふ実感から生じる。その必然性を味はふこと、それが生きがひだ。私たちは二重に生きてゐる。 役者が舞台のうへで、つねにさうであるやうに。」(「人間・この劇的なるもの」1956年)



And this is from my favorite author, a prodigy of ethical sense, Orson Scott Card.
'I'd never like to be controlled.'
'Then, you have to refuse to live.'
("Songmaster", 1978)

Ei-Ichi

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?