Emily in Minneapolis
Update of pursuing taiko upon returning to America. Sorry for the 6 month hiatus. I'm in America now, but maybe I'll make it to Paris in 2025. #emilyinparis
*I am a native English speaker purely speaking about my own experiences and thoughts. Sometimes, I use strange words and phrases. If you are reading this through AI translation, it may not be correct. Please ask if you have any questions.*
*Click on the photo to see the full image*
*If reading this via email, you can read previous posts on the actual Substack website .*
Happy New Year！How was the past 6 months of waiting in anticipation to find out if I ever made it to Paris? Bad news, I didn’t.
あけましっておめでとうございます！お久しぶ理です。ちょっとした恥ずかしだった。私の日本語は下手になりましたが、決して上手ではありませんでした。すみません、翻訳アプリを使ってもらえますか？ご質問がございましたらお知らせください。頑張って日本語で答えます！たくさんへんの英語を使います。たとえば、最初はアメリカのテレビ番組についてです。
What I wrote in Japanese is a request to use a translation app, but I will do my best to answer your questions in English or Japanese.
I didn’t think anyone cared about the substack, it wasn’t about live experiences in Japan, however, I’ve been touched by people reaching out to me. I have more I’d love to write about, but I’ve been hesitant due to a mix of feeling outdated, suddenly becoming embarrassed to be on the internet, struggles of cultural transitions and being busy working in taiko.
YES! THAT’S CORRECT! I work in taiko now!!!!!
Before I get into it, a lil outline:
Update, I work for Taiko Arts Midwest (TAM) and kaDON now!
Update, what I’ve been up to since leaving Japan.
Update, what it’s like to transition culturally back to America.
Conclude with a story of Japan and America
The future of this substack. Halp.
So feel free to skip whatever you’d like based on what you already know about what I’ve been up to.
1. Update: What am I doing now
I currently live in Minnesota to work for Taiko Arts Midwest (TAM) as their “artistic apprentice” (a definition that continuously evolves). They’re a Midwest taiko gem that chases (and will accomplish) big dreams, like moving into their own stand alone beautiful building! I teach, assist in residencies, perform (9 shows the first 2 months…Minnesota is lit with taiko y’all), and will hopefully compose and help build taiko. I’m also a part time staff member for kaDON, a small, yet incredible online company that connects people outside of Japan to premiere taiko and geinoh equipment made by Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten, the official imperial drum maker of Japan, as well as providing online lessons crafted by the leading taiko pros in the world. I’ve relied on them over the years. It’s because of their intensive with Kaoly that I made this connection and was able to purse my dreams. And because of TAM’s Her Beat concert, I was energized to get past the fears of patriarchal culture in Japan and just go for it.
Wild how life works. I’m truly frickin’ lucky.
Side note, I don’t know how to talk about this without sounding like I’m kissing their a$$. It’s my New Year’s resolution to keep being authentic, so I guess I’m authentically a hype woman too.
2. Update: Time between Japan and Minnesota
The 3ish months upon returning and before my move to Minnesota, I briefly stopped in Hawaii to visit family and friends, I came back for Ho Etsu’s performance with Searchlights in Madison in front of 2,000 audience members, volunteered and performed at MBT’s Ginza Festival (I will forever authentically hype this Chicago summer festival BTW), MBT Chicago bon odori, hosting Tawoo Taiko workshops in Chicago (BTW, Ho Etsu will be holding workshops throughout the year so keep an eye on them ), and of course, 3 weeks touring alongside Kaoly Asano through kaDON for her intensive workshops with the kaDON crew Aya, Shoji, and Diana, as well as with Wolf Young in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
I got to see a handful of family and friends along the way, had to let go of some relationships of varying degrees of devastation, but also, I’m fortunate to say I started new, deep ones too. It’s hard, people can change a lot in 2 years, including myself. Some age much faster than others. I can now connect to some folks more deeply than I could have before I had moved to Japan, while on the otherhand, I feel even farther away from some despite finally being in the same timezone. But fortunately, some relationships continued as if our connection transcended distance. These things happens regardless of living abroad or moving a couple blocks, we’re always changing, right? But to be honest, I experienced more difficulty transitioning back culturally than I had anticipated.
3. Update: What it’s like to transition back culturally
On the note of change, I’d love to hear what folks’ first impressions of me when I first came back, because I was pretty strange (in American standards). Perhaps daily submersion and commitment to embrace Japanese cultural practices and norms, and primarily conversing only in Japanese (albeit horribly), made the transition difficult. I was terrified with driving, I was overly upset by over consumption and waste, and I picked up some possibly annoying habits (which are actually just cultural differences that you can ask me about in person. Unrelated, I was constantly trying to translate everything in my head even though it wasn’t necessary, so I spoke slowly and had long pauses before responding. I also had gotten comfortable not talking, not having to fill silence, and speaking softly, but I realize now that perhaps my silence made people uncomfortable. Y’all, I’m not quiet, I just didn’t think talking was necessary.
I miss Japan because I miss my friends and community, accessibility to taiko and geinoh (especially as I was trying to learn a couple new things), easily blending into society, the transportation, and of course, safety. Yet after being in America for 6 months, I don’t yearn to live in Japan. Don’t get me wrong, I love Japan like the rest of the internet, but it’s really nice to speak the same native language, and reading between the lines is much easier here in America. It’s also easier to relax and express myself. Take this as you will, I don’t have to try as hard to meet a societal standards in America.
Ask me in a month however and I might have a different answer.
4. Reflection:
When I was in Japan, I was motivated to keep learning and constantly put myself in uncomfortable situations in order to experience as much as I could. That’s how I accidentally fell in love with Ushibuka Haiya, Hachijo daiko, and Toyama minyo, and doing things that I suck at, such as singing. Don’t get me wrong, most of my time was spent doing Tawoo taiko. It’s kind of why I wanted to learn about Jomon era, Japan’s neolithic period, because I wanted to learn more about taiko and perhaps human nature in it’s rawest form.
Perhaps I’m bringing up too many new ideas now, but what I’m trying to get across is that learning was endless when I was in Japan because it was impossible to fully learn one thing as new avenues continued to appear, and even with one topic, learning and practice is endless.
Yet, in Minnesota, I’ve lost this energy. Of course I continue to practice and perform, but I’m embarrassed that I haven’t sought information and uncomfortable situations like I used to.
When I was in Hawaii to visit family, I became enthralled by FestPAC, the festival of Pacific arts and culture that features performances for 11 days. I was suddenly invested in learning about the history and cultural arts of the native people of Taiwan, what’s going on in New Caledonia and what will happen to their cultural arts. When I was in Chicago temporarily, I started to become obsessed with House dancing, because it’s from the city. On the flipside, I never explored it when I lived there indefinitely.
Stay with me, this will all connect.
Despite traveling to multiple prefectures in Japan and multiple states in America, when asked what memory stood out to me in 2024, it was 3 weeks ago being alone in another new home. Taiko was canceled due to bad winter weather, and I was alone. My spirit was gone, and I felt lost without an endpoint in site.
Life lesson #810: Find the comfort in being uncomfortable and…submerge.
I haven’t given Minnesota a fair chance. I swear out loud as I run in negative windchill weather, and I’ve been out of state lately. And in all honesty, 3 years ago, I’d think it doesn’t have the glitz and glam that Japan does, but truly all that matters is perspective. Perhaps with time, the urge to submerge and embrace local historical and cultural art will get me through the winter and more. I may not have immigration looming or an end date, but life has one, so why not embrace whatever is surrounding me? It may not be taiko, but learning about the cultural arts to the region only helps me understand taiko more.
5. My ask:
I started writing substacks for friends, family, and for anyone who was interested in dropping everything to pursue their taiko dreams in Japan. I’m still pursuing my taiko dreams, but just in a different place. So, are you interested in more of my substacks if it’s not centered around Japan? Do you want to hear about old (as in 2022-2024) stories? 日本人友達, Do you want to read about my current life as a professional taiko artist in America? Is there something else you’d like to read about? Or, is it time to end?
Whatever happens, I’m grateful for your support throughout this journey. Thank you for taking the time to read my rambles, and nerding out on taiko and Japan. Each substack involved countless drafts, many introspection walks, research, and courage. Yeah, posting these have been really scary for me. I’m sharing my authentic opinions and feelings in public! Yikes! It’s embarrassing! I’ve got forever imposter syndrome! So it’s truly an honor to share my experience with you, and I’m grateful to everyone who has emailed me updates in return, or who have introduced themselves via online or in-person through this blog! Despite how poorly I am with replying (eep).
OH AND FOOD. ‘Merica, and the shochu I couldn’t take back because I was over the weight limit.
That’s it.
Such a lovely post! I’ve always been fascinated with the transition between Japanese and American culture (generally speaking) and how one navigates between the two. You touched on some of that here and would be curious to hear more about your experiences in that realm. For example as someone who “passes” for native do you find you are treated better (one of us!) or worse (ie confused why you aren’t fluent) in Japan vs. say here in the States?