Bijin Sushi no Yoru - Night of the Beautiful Sushi Masteresse - with Yuyama Reiko

Bijin Sushi 美人寿司

"A beautiful woman is in costume as a Japanese Geisha girl, in other words Kill Bill style, presenting a Sushi performance using the best seasonal vegetables, meat and fish from the region. You can see upcoming pop icon Yuyama Reiko, the Chairperson of Bijin Sushi, also a noted editor and journalist ... The main concept of the performance is "punk attitude" which is embodied by the sushi itself. The spirit of sushi has been carried over for centuries, by "shokunin" or traditional master sushi chefs. Sushi chefs served samurai ... but are usually limited to men. Women have been omitted from being Sushi chefs, the same going for traditional sports like Sumo wrestling. But we Bijin Sushi are going the other way. Why women? Honestly, in today in Japan the real samurai spirit can be found in women, like "Kill Bill" ... for Japanese, eating sushi is the same as enjoying special tastes of each season and of each local area. That is to celebrate life and nature aswell."

This excerpt from the pamphlet about Bijin Sushi, also folds into a chopsticks holder (ingenious!) and is written by Yuyama Reiko (c).

I was fortunate to be invited as her special guest at the recent Bijin Sushi spectacular held at a chique little bar in Marunouchi, Tokyo.

For complementary tasting was a special Nihonshu (sake), my favorite version being a cocktail of crushed ice, fresh lime and the seasons first "namasake".

Not only did the goddess of Sushi cater single-handed to over 100 hungry guests, she also managed to entertain us with a rare DJ set with accompanying head gear.

A most impressive display!

New Spring Seasonal Vegetables - Cooking Corner #1

Eating in harmony with the seasons
So, I got my bike fixed (at last!) and found a new supermarket which is a VERY exciting thing for me. This supermarket called "OK" has a much better selection of produce than my normal supermarket, so now I can branch out with my cooking.

2 new vegies on the menu for tonight is

urui  うるい

This vegetable needs only a light blanching. It is so sensitive and subtle to touch, like soft silk fabric.

I cut into 3 cm lengths and added shoyu and iwashi bushi.

norabou sai　のらぼう菜

This vegetable is hardy and needs longer on the boil to draw out the toxicity and bring out the sweetness.

I cut into 4 cm pieces and then made it with a special seasoning and tofu.

The seasoning ingredients:
Sesame oil
Grateed ginger
Ground black sesame powder
A pinch of salt
A pinch of black sugar


After water has dried out of the tofu, this is mixed with the seasoning and finally the norabou is added.


I love cooking, and vow to cook much more in discovering Japanese vegetables. Stay tuned for the next cooking corner!

A HAPPY DINNER TABLE!

16 March 2010

Ashitaba あしたば- the vegetable of longevity

Asitaba's scientific name, Angelica keiskei Koidzumi, comes from the Latin name for Angel, and because of its godly effects that have given it its notoriety. The population of Hachijo Island are known for their longevity, living into their 90's. It is known to purify blood, cleanse the colon, detoxify liver, enhance blood circulation and relieve muscle, joint and nerve discomfort. It contains "chalcones", the only known plant to do so.

I made Ashitaba tonight similar to norabou sai, with tofu and seasoning to taste. It is certainly pungent, but I know it is good for me!

18 March

2 new vegetables today!

mibuna みぶな

This is another green leafy vegetable, sensitive and elegant but holds its form.
A light dip in boiling water, then into a sesame paste which included
1 Tbs of Soy Sauce
1 tsp of brown sugar
4 Tbs of gold seasame seeds crushed

oishii!

Kaburana かぶら菜

This came from Kyoto. Hardy and a little like 'na no hana'.
I made a miso paste with brown rice vinegar to give a different flavour.
Let's see how it goes!



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A day in my Tokyo life: Kenzo Japan and a night at the Residence of The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

A day in my wonderful Tokyo Life! Friday 12 March 2010

KENZO LMVH

What a wonderful day! Spring sunshine and crisp air flowing about, I ventured to Kenzo LMVH offices to meet with Mr. Fukuoka (GM) and Ms. Chikaoka to discuss possibilities of collaboration with Kenzo Parfum and Cosmetics.

Kenzo Power ... a gift of goodwill and a new fragrance to add to my own personal collection, alongside some Ginger body scrub and Nightwatcher - a bamboo leaf energising face cream for night ... approaching 30, I suppose it is time to take care of my skin!

Getting back to creation, the thing I love about smell is that it is like sound. The sensory experience of sound and smell is that which cannot be "seen". The power of sight is disabled and this enables the imagination to provide its own images. We will make a great collaboration.

... "That which is cannot be seen is most important"

I am going to a Zazenkai at a Temple on the 25th to experience meditation and Kenzo fragrances in a special gathering of Tokioites. I am looking forward to this!

Link to Kenzo website: http://www.sokenzo.jp/

LUXEMBOURG AMBASSADORS RESIDENCE

After a wonderful lunch at Kenzo, I prepared for the next adventure. A night at the Paul Steinmetz and his beautiful partner Radhika, at the Luxembourg Embassy's residential quarters.

In the limelight, Francesco Tristano Schlimé ... a classical pianist who presented a special performance of original works for piano and electronics...

The performance brought me to a space where I considered my own creative direction. Using a classical base to create contemporary sound scape.

The performance triggered many thoughts about my own approach to music, electronics, instruments and performance. A very positive experience.

NEW CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY in DAIKANAYAMA by MIKA ASAKURA

BENJAMIN SKEPPER PERFORMANCE ART - APRIL 12

To top off this wonderful day, I met Ms Asakura, an art-lover who is opening a new contemporary art gallery in Daikanyama in April.

She has invited me to perform at the opening of her gallery - I feel a solo cello improvisation brewing!

Noh Dance Performance at Cerulean Tower

After accepting a cordial invitation from multi-player Yuyama Reiko (湯山　玲子）, we ventured to a dub bar for a pint of Guinness before heading off to Cerulean Tower's Noh Performance Centre.

It was like being whisked away to a traditional Japanese style ryokan, with its traditional interior and minimal stone marble flooring.

Not being educated in the art of Noh, it was an interesting evening of collaboration with flower arrangment and impressionst piano classics (although the collaboration was not so successful).

Still, time spent away from the throngs is soothing, and I look forward to more adventures with Yuyama Reiko into the Tokyo art and performance subculture.

Yuyama Reiko's Blog Link   http://yuyamareiko.typepad.jp/blog/

Studio Recording Session for my next solo album

Thursday 4 March 2010

Fujita Kouji, director of Hiranya Access, arrived at my house this morning with a bundle of black sound absorbing cushioned panels, electronic apparatus, sound mixers and earthing cable, ready to install in my music studio.

Excited at the prospect of finally using my music room for professional recording and editing purposes, we transformed the space into a fully functional sound editing studio. Space transformation installations are my latest fixation, and Fujita has been a brilliant collaborator and creative mind in sharing the experience of transforming spaces for multifunctional and unorthodox uses.

We are working on eight compositions, which were born from my four month artist residency as part of the "No Mans Land" art exhibition at the former French Embassy in Tokyo.

These compositions form the sound bed for my next album collaboration with Ito Keiji also. Keiji will use the sound from my compositions as creative inspiration for the jacket design which will house my second 12 inch vinyl album record.

I am still deciding on names for all my compositions and moreover the title of the album! Naming compositions can be a difficult exercise, especially when the music has descended from the ether into my body and out through my instruments.
Words change image. So it has to be relevant and reflect the sound of the composition.

The Studio Installation complete

This is Kouji from Hiranya Access!


 



... Friday 5 March 2010

So we had some technical difficulties today... my eyes are stinging from staring at the blaring screens ...

Parnassus ... this composition features a retro sewing machine called "Crystal Pettie" ... who sadly sang her last song (or should I say, sewed her last stich) at my last performance at No Mans Land. But I still keep her as a treasured belonging as she served me well. Until she broke.


Her digital silhouette with cello and harpsichord is like a piece of the puzzle from the Da Vinci code or the Emerald Tablets. So far I am happy with the progress, but still SO much work to get done...

Saturday 6 March 2010

Composition moods:

Military Salon - reflective
Toy Piano - whimsical beauty
Transcend - air
Kokyu - crisp
Parnassus - punchy
Nana - ether
Taradale Birds - nature
Flight - sparkling

Croation Toursim Board Gala Event at The Four Season Hotel

Walking into the Chinzan-so ball room with its gaudy Viennese inspired glass chandeliers and matching carpet, I could not help but feel like I was in a scene from "The Sound of Music" ...

Indeed, I was treated to some highly proficient yodeling from soprano virtuoso Danijela Pintaric who wooed Japanese corporates with her sexy stage presence and brilliant vocals bringing out some of the classic tunes from The Sound of Music ... a nostalgic view of childhood.

Piano duo with percussion "Orient Expresto" presented original compositions, the highlight for me being a new version of the sugar plum fairy xylophone played on perfectly tuned glass wine bottles!

Having little to no knowledge about Croatia, the people I met there were warm and animated, and the cuisine was unbelievable. Parts of Italy, Spain and Hungary were all to be found in the smorgasbord buffet spread... and pastry deserts were divine.

But who could forget our Croatian Ambassador, Mr, Drago Stambuk who also appeared on stage with Pintaric as they oozed melancholy with my pick of the night, a Croation folk song ... a reminder of the days of the ROM where gypsies ruled free over the land, traversing border-less territory.

(PS. I will be collaborating with the Croation Ambassador later this month at a 900 year old Shinto Shrine... more about that later!)

Croatia here I come!

I am officially a blogger

Welcome to my first (official) blog.

My entry point into the world of cyber-intellectuality and post communication.

This space is really about me introducing you, the reader, to my personal universe ... ramblings about my life, philosophy, the world.

Lets see where the journey takes us...


For now, here is a link to my new homepage Benjamin Skepper Official Homepage by Reimon Kinoshita including artwork by Ito Keiji of Unidentified Flying Graphics (UFG).

This is a photograph by my dear friend, Lucille Reyboz. We both exhibited at No Mans Land, an arts project at the Old French Embassy in Tokyo... will talk about that a bit later.