Copernicus Films - "Japan - Philosophical Landscapes"

A web documentary film about the role of landscape in the cultural philosophy and history of Japan and its reflection in the visual landscape from the early Shinto shrines, gardens and architecture up to the modern urban landscape and beyond. As the film is edited and completed it will be released in parts across the Internet. Accompanying the film will be a series of articles, blogs and other material relating to the project, including a diary from Tokyo and Kyoto. http://www.copernicusfilms.com http://www.japanphilosophicallandscapes.com

The gardens and architecture of the Heian period lasted from the late 8th century to the late 12th century. They reflect the process of Japanese reinterpretation and finally assimilation of Chinese culture. A significant feature of Japanese gardens is their ability to arouse poetic emotions in the viewer and this was especially true of the Heian period. Rocks, flowers trees are not just inanimate objects but possess their own being and sensitivity. To be sensitive to their sensitivity is a prerequisite of Heian art.

Journeys around a spatially organised landscape was the principle behind the pilgrimage circuit. EG in Kyoto. The pilgrimages not by a hierarchical route leading to an ultimate goal but on a non hierarchical organisation around a system of magical numbers. P and lost none of the religious character. pilgrims were guided not to a specific destination but past a certain number of temples on a route all of which were of equal importance. This is an abstract system which works like a framework which is transferable so that it organise other situations in the same way. (Like a blueprint) Pilgrimages which had stretched over hundreds of miles could be condensed to fit in your own back garden These type of gardens were a final attempt to re introduce an explicit religious element into the secularised traditions of garden architecture in Japan.

This section of the film focuses on the Silver Pavilion of Ginkaku ji. It suits my purposes over the more popular Golden Pavilion in Kyoto as it describes more directly the phenomenon of Philosophical landscapes. Most people are concerned with the Golden pavilion because of its obvious beauty, a striking golden temple set in the middle of a pond, its still golden reflection a mirrored upturned version of itself creating an uncanny sensation of a floating vision in mid air. However in some ways the Silver Pavilion, Ginkaku ji,  is no less beautiful despite its subdued  presence if compared to the Golden Pavilion. The addition of moss covered grounds and what I would call "sandscapes" - abstract images made with sand and grit give it a unique quality as a Zen temple. They do not represent the landscape or depict a particular landscape but communicate an essence or idea. The cone...

10/11/2007 Arrived yesterday in Tokyo. Still warm and a little humid even at this time of the year. Settled quickly into our apartment which is in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo. Some dissappointments. The furniture in the photographs does not correspond to the furniture in the apartment. In particular there is no divan so literally there is nowhere to sit apart from the chairs around an enormous round table which dominates the entire apartment. No amount of discussion or remonstration will get the furniture we wanted. The only answer we get is "that furniture is too big for the apartment". The question arises why was it advertised with those pieces of furniture. I have been informed that it is not entirely uncommon. Lisa, the Japanese woman who works in the real estate office and speaks English with a perfect American accent, just smiles and tells me we will be very comfortable there. As I organised everything over the internet there was no way of checking anything before han...

11/11/2007  Sun Received answers to our e-mails form Akira Suzuki and Paul Cunningham. Akira san lives about 15 minutes walk away from where we are living in Suitengumae. I was just looking at the map and we are right in the area where  Basho  lived during the 17th century across the river from us almost directly opposite. Last time we were here Akira san took us all around the area and I remember looking across the river at a row of cherry trees which were about to start blossoming and thinking how good it would be to live around this area. By accident that is exactly where we have ended up, following in Basho's footsteps so to speak. Basho was a poet who made journeys all over Japan writing about what he saw and felt on the way in the form of Haiku (three lined verse).Basho was interested in the spirit of place. He visited various places to commune  with the memory of those with whom he shared the same attitude to life. Though they were dead the surroundings were...

12/11/2007 Monday Settling in a bit more although its still difficult to aclimitise. Its not like we are here on holiday. There is a lot to organise: finding places to buy food, places to eat and organising our schedule. Went to the second part of the Sogetsu exhibition at Takashimaya Department store. Natasha took more photographs. Earlier we were at the Sogetsu headquarters on Asakusa where Natasha had some business to complete for herself and for her students. We went into the cafe there and had lunch. Brilliantly designed building. Very contemporary even though it was built at the end of the fifties. The 12 or 15 stories high the design  is as modern now as it was then. I like the exhibition hall in the lobby with its exhibition space and "waterfall".The building serves as the international headquarters for the Sogetsu organisation. The adminstration of the branches from all over the world is dealt with here. This evening met up with Akira san and he took us to a restaur...

16/11/2007 Friday Gradually getting some kind of rhythm into our stay here and settling into the rhythm of life in Tokyo. Already visited the National Museum of Japan in Ueno Park. Excellent  exhibition of art from the Tokugawa period - special exhibition. The whole place was packed with long queues to get in. Splendid exhibits from this period. Yesterday we met with Paul Cunningham at the Dubliners Pub in Ikibukara and had a meal together. Not very Japanese but good company. We met Paul on my first visit to Japan. We were travelling to Ogasawara, the island 1000 kiliomtres south of Tokyo out into the Pacific. I was making a film about Burliuk and we got to know him on the island itself. Before that walked around the Imperial Palace Garden complex in stunning  autumn sunlit weather. Incredible garden laid out in between the fortifications and moats which make up the perimeter of the Palace. Finding our way around the metro much easier now. Today met with Madam Fujimoto who to...

20/11/2007 Monday,   Arrived in Kyoto  on Saturday in the afternoon by train. Saw mount Fuji in the distance from the train window, although it looked quite close due to its immense size and height.   Yesterday kept the day fairly simple and went around the nearby museums not far from the hotel.　 The Kyoto National Museum and the Museum of contemporary Art .　Also we visited the Heian Shrine , the huge Shinto shrine. Behind it and attached to the shrine is a widespread garden with long walks and a bridge with balconies which along each of its sections is framed unique views of the gardens as if framed in a picture or painting. Another example of how Japanese use nature to create art ie using the materials of nature itself to create art.   Finding our way around the restaurants and cafes so that we can eat relatively economically.   Today we went to the the temples and shrines close to our hotel. Nanzenji Temple and the nearby Garden, Eikando Temple complex and t...

Yesterday was a long day.　Started early in the morning at Nijo Castle . Large complex with palace inside the castle perimeter and gardens. Inside the palace is a large building which has walkways inside which squeak like birds singing or geese honking. This is apparently was a security warning. However it occured to　me that it also had an artistic dimension in that it completely complimented the pictures of geese and other birds on the walls and doors which adorned the palace. Reminded me of some of the things that Eisenstein said about Japanese theatre and cinema. Also Mazurik talks about this as well, the idea that japanese art was cinematic.   Had  tea ceremony in a raised building overlooking one of the zen gardens which we looked at for about half an hour mediating on its beauty and refinement. The Russian tour group who arrived at the same time as us and even travelled on the metro with us by coincidence looked at us with envy. In the far distance a swan glided along th...

22/11/2007 Thurs   Terribly cold today but all the same we braved the weather and visited several temples.  At one temple the Abbott was on duty and he signed a copy of the guide book we bought. Lovely middle aged man with a totally unaggressive nature. He would find out what nationality you were and sing a song from that country. For me he sang its A long way to Tipperary. Even for his age he had the most youthful of hands, like a youth of 15 or 16. He couldn't` remember his Russian but as we were going out the door  he came out after us to say "spasibo". Such a gentle and genuinely kind man.  Managed to film a bit and got some quite good footage which also may prove useful. Spent a long time riding on buses to get there but we managed to figure out the system. Also we booked a visit at the Imperial villa which Natasha says is well worth a visit.   Yesterday we visited Movie World - the Japanese film studio entertainment complex. There is a complete Japanese t...

27/11/2007 Wed Achieved a lot in The last few days since last entry. Spent an entire day at Gion, a region in Kyoto not far from us which seems mainly for Japanese locals. Originally it was a Geisha region but now it is a place for shopping as well although the Geisha district still remains. Went to a tourist show of various traditional Japanese performance arts. Not very good. Later had a traditional Japanese meal  Shabi Shabi in a restaurant in the Gion District. Day before yesterday we went to Imperial Villa Tenri Riyku. Beautiful gardens which I filmed as much as possible. Got some good material I think despite being hustled along by attendants. Yesterday we went to the Hosia Museum which houses the Sekka Rimpa collection. We have the books of his work which we bought in Tokyo the first time I was in Japan but to see this material close up is so much better and striking.

01/12/2007 Saturday   Back in Tokyo after two weeks in Kyoto. Some last minute photos and then we checked out of the hotel and got a taxi to the station. There we had a meal in the hi tech architecture of Kyoto station itself. The architecture is built with metal, concrete and glass but the view from the upper floor looks out onto the distant mountains through a curving network of steel girders which echo the form and lay of the mountains themselves. Its another example in my view of the combination of architecture and natural landscape which the Japanese have used in the design of their living spaces since ancient times and still continues today long before modern architects grasped this concept. A wide eleven story staircase  sweeps down from the top floor to the ground floor offering a vast vista of the cavernous interior of the main station area. From Kyoto we of course got on the wrong train because we were rushing and were both quite tired. The wrong train went to Tokyo...

02/12/2007 Sunday   Back in Tokyo. Spent most of yesterday resting at home, then in the evening went out and found a cheap nearby restaurant which served up huge portions of Japanese food. Walked further on  to a bridge which crosses Sumida gawa and along the wide toe path which borders the river. Saturday night and so quiet - nobody to be seen except for a flotilla of river boats with dimly lit lanterns on each side going up and down the river. Lit up statue of Basho visible, despite its small size, on the far side of the river. 03/12/2007 Monday   Met Akira san at the metro and went to the open air antique market not far from where we are living on Suitengumae and set in the grounds of a temple. Prices quite high but numerous relics form bygone Japanese times, even an ancient saddle was for sale as well as old Japanese tools ( I have no idea what they might be used for) and vases and prints. What took my eye was old scrolls of Japanese writing which look as if they ha...

04/12/2007 Tuesday.   Today we went to Asakusa. We didn't really know what to do with ourselves and after sending a parcel to someone in Moscow we decided to go there for the rest of the day. Cold and crowded but still a beautiful place to go. They have refurbished the temple complex and it looks in very good condition now. Received an e-mail from Akira san this morning and he found the site with the film on. He suggested I give a copy to his friend (Also Mr Suzuki) who owns a gallery in Tokyo and where we had a personal showing of the painting by Burliuk "Oshima" which was a remarkable  experience last time we were in Tokyo. He also suggested sending a copy to Mrs Samidu on Osagawara. She runs the cultural department on the Island and we met her when we visited the Island a few years ago. Kapitonenko who heads up the David Burliuk Foundation in the Ukraine is a different story and we will write to him and see what he says. Sent a copy to Mary Holt as Akira san suggeste...

09/12/2007 Sunday,   Just returned from the Izu Osezaki Peninsular where I went diving. The diving experience is something else but the place where we were diving was extremely beautiful and I and Natasha made the most of it, filming and photographing as much as possible. The part where we were is about a 20 minute train ride form Mishima. Its not hard to get there but if you don't know the way it can be quite stressful making all the connections and arriving in time for a bus which would take us to the dive site. We managed to make the bus which wound along a coastal road with step hillsides and incredible views of the wide bay. After about ten minutes a fantastic vista of Fujiyama opens up on the right hand side, truly a magnificent sight. Managed to get some decent footage of this which could also be seen from the dive site. It was often obscured by clouds but I think I have got some good stuff. Then we walked around the small peninsular near the site. There is an old temple wi...

11/12/2007 Reading articles about Japanese Film Directors and these relation to western film  and Japanese society.   Yesterday walked around a park not far from where Basho spent much of his time in Tokyo and not far from where we live. I think it is called Kiyobashi park but I need to check.   It might be worth contemplating that because Japanese culture has many of its sources in nature, its culture cannot be appropriated completely by an ideology because nature always, so to speak, in Japanese culture at any rate has the upper hand or at least the last say. Its a thought worth pursuing.   Some thoughts on Basho's poetry - Those three line poems are appropriate to those fleeting moments of inspiration, moments which seem like a second or a micro second but contain a volume of  information which far outweighs the particle and so for this reason we would refer to it as quality rather than quantity or the place where quality and quantity interface (I'm not sure...

15/12/2007 Day before yesterday went to Shinjuka after meeting with Ulia, a relative of one of Natasha's students. Shinshuka is about ten stops up from us on the Maronouchi Line. She took us there and showed us where there was a good book shop for foreigners. There we bought several books for studying Japanese and I bought some books about Basho. Just looking at the characters and learning about them is fascinating. One thing I noticed, the character for madness or lunacy is a combination of the character for a king and a dog. This is to imply the the king is a mad dog. It reminded me of the mad king in Shakespeare's Lear and led me to wonder if there is some common archetype at work as it seems that Shakespeare was unlikely to know Japanese. I am struck by how pictorial these characters are. I knew this already but when you actually start to study them there are all kinds of echos and resonances which require a great deal of thought.   Yesterday met with an other woman, Tatia...

16/12/2007   Met with Michiko yesterday and we walked around with Natasha and myself for a couple of hours and then visited the Rikugien Gardens in Tokyo. It is lit up at night in such away that the trees and other features appear as sculpted shapes. The whole effect takes on enchanted and other world appearance as the light brings out the colours and features of the gardens so that they are seen in a completely new aspect from that which would  be presented during day time. It is typical of the gardens from the Edo period and is  pond and mountain style garden based on a waka poem from the  15th year of the Genrouko period (1702). Afterwards we came back home to Suitengumae and had a meal together.    Today, early this morning we took the JR train out to Minami Urawa, which is almost at the end of some line  in east Tokyo. It took about an hour. It always amazes me how quiet the streets are here in Tokyo. There was an Ikebana display there plus Japan...