First tour of Japan

 Just got back from a two-week tour of Japan as pianist with the David Murray Quartet (in a group which also featured Mark Johnson on drums and Wilbur Morris on bass). And what an eye-opening experience it was. It was already inspiring enough to see the enthusiasm for our music among the audiences at the small, personal jazz clubs we performed. But I was perhaps equally impressed by other, non-musical matters: the sleek, modern, even futuristic cities and fascination with technology (an enthusiasm I certainly share); the politeness and general well-ordered nature of the society (which reminded me alot more of my upbringing in Canada) which was at the same time very frenetic and fast-paced (like my current home of New York City); and numerous random aspects of the culture including the Sumo wrestling which was on t.v. every day we were there and the food, which reminded me alot of the food I ate growing up. Finally, most unexpectedly striking to me was the moving experience of being surrounded constantly by a sea of Asian faces, faces so similar to my own...