11/17/2012

‘Japan does not exist’

Something I tell people here in Japan almost everyday is that Japan does not exist. They always laugh nervously—quietly. It’s gr-r-reat to hear that someone as illustrious as the artist, Momus, aka Nick Currie (Wikipedia) agrees with me.

Moscow is illegible
by MOMUS | 16th November 2012
…<big snip>… 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’…
…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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*Momus seems to be making 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.
(Read the full text and context of Oscar Wilde here.)

Previous 3Yen posts from the deliciously different mind of Momus include:
   • Brown danger stalks Japanese schoolgirls (3Yen / 2012-05-30)
   • ‘bongos beat, the violins stagger & slide, the sax quacks’
         (3Yen/2011-03-13)
   • Electric Crow Funk on Tokyo (3Yen / 2010-01-15)
   • Naked Nun Nips of Nippon (3Yen / 2011-01-24)
. . . . . .

Posted by Taro in Arts/Culture, General, Society | 4 Comments »

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4 Responses to “‘Japan does not exist’”

1. fgz Says:
   November 17th, 2012 at 5:14 pm

   Good read. Thanks for that..

2. Taro Says:
   November 17th, 2012 at 5:20 pm

   Good read.

   Yeah, it’s good to post something a bit more nuanced about Japan than just the regular day-to-day snarkiness.

   I also can to relate to Momus’ observation in that post…

   …<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.
   More…

3. Tojo Says:
   November 18th, 2012 at 10:34 am

   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.

4. Taro Says:
   November 18th, 2012 at 2:35 pm

   Tojo wrote:
   …Try leaving out the references to Russian thinkers next time as it adds nothing to what you want to convey…

   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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