I spent two years in Kyoto.
After returning to university and earning my degree in Art History [specializing in Japanese art] I was over the moon when just a couple of years later a job offer in Kyoto landed in my lap.
Kyoto, with its proximity to nature (and to Osaka) was a dream like place for me to live in. It's the thousand year capital of Japan - and today remains the heart of Japan, rich in history and culture... perfect for a Nipponphile like me.
I lived there with my pretty fabulous partner of the time, and together we used Kyoto as the spring point to get to know Japan better. But after every trip out of the old capital, I was always more than happy to get home again.
My time in Kyoto, though not without its challenges, was just one of those wonderful times when you meet awesome people who will play a part in your life for years to come. It's a time that I still look back on fondly.
A visit to Kyoto should be on everyone's to do list. There are lots of guides out there that cover the usual suspects, but you might want to try this one for recent foodie stuff, and this one for a completely different perspective.
Japan figures pretty prominently throughout Vinyl Tiger.
It has long been a major market for Western pop stars, and traditionally has been seen as a lucrative market for pop and rock music. Japan of course has its own domestic record industry, whose rules function quite differently to those elsewhere (even in Asia).
In Vinyl Tiger, Alekzandr forges enduring professional and personal relationships with a number of characters, the most important being that with Musashi, a classical composer turned songwriter/producer. It is with Musashi that Alekzandr achieves acclaim and with whom he must navigate a friendship with a completely different etiquette to that which he is used to and capable of.
Many of the Japanese scenes in the book take place in Tokyo and Osaka, but eventually, the shift in the tone of the book also shifts towards Kyoto. Recent tragic events in Japan have also been referenced in the book, hopefully with the utmost of respect.
After returning to university and earning my degree in Art History [specializing in Japanese art] I was over the moon when just a couple of years later a job offer in Kyoto landed in my lap.
Kyoto, with its proximity to nature (and to Osaka) was a dream like place for me to live in. It's the thousand year capital of Japan - and today remains the heart of Japan, rich in history and culture... perfect for a Nipponphile like me.
I lived there with my pretty fabulous partner of the time, and together we used Kyoto as the spring point to get to know Japan better. But after every trip out of the old capital, I was always more than happy to get home again.
My time in Kyoto, though not without its challenges, was just one of those wonderful times when you meet awesome people who will play a part in your life for years to come. It's a time that I still look back on fondly.
A visit to Kyoto should be on everyone's to do list. There are lots of guides out there that cover the usual suspects, but you might want to try this one for recent foodie stuff, and this one for a completely different perspective.
Japan figures pretty prominently throughout Vinyl Tiger.
It has long been a major market for Western pop stars, and traditionally has been seen as a lucrative market for pop and rock music. Japan of course has its own domestic record industry, whose rules function quite differently to those elsewhere (even in Asia).
In Vinyl Tiger, Alekzandr forges enduring professional and personal relationships with a number of characters, the most important being that with Musashi, a classical composer turned songwriter/producer. It is with Musashi that Alekzandr achieves acclaim and with whom he must navigate a friendship with a completely different etiquette to that which he is used to and capable of.
Many of the Japanese scenes in the book take place in Tokyo and Osaka, but eventually, the shift in the tone of the book also shifts towards Kyoto. Recent tragic events in Japan have also been referenced in the book, hopefully with the utmost of respect.
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