Tokyo

Stumbling on an old friend in a new setting. I seem to bump into copies of Louise Bourgois' Maman all over the place.

Sometimes my job rocks! I'm in Tokyo, a city that has always fascinated me, so much so that I always forget I've never actually been here before. And I'm researching haircare, possibly my all time favourite research subject (when you talk to a woman about her hair you are talking about something that is fundamentally tied up with her sense of who she is; hair is deeply emotional).

In my two and a half day visit I am mostly working or sleeping, there is very little time to sightsee or explore. But that doesn't matter because on this trip I get to visit consumers in their homes as well as so I'm exploring suburbs and parts of the city visitors rarely get to see. So far I've visited: a very wealthy, where the homes are relatively palatial and the current vogue classical european style home decor, and a Eastern suburb hanging out in the apartments of trendy, young, working girls.

My guide round the city is my japanese counterpart Makiko. one of the great things about doing international research is hanging out with other professional people watchers, who generally make amazing cultural interpreters. Makiko has travelled Europe and spent a year at Lancaster Uni, so we are able to swap observations and puzzle over differences. A 15 minute discussion about differences in umbrella behaviour and etiquette is enlightening on a far grander scale than the everyday subject matter would suggest.

I'm very, very lucky to call this work.

Comments

[Charles Frith]

I'd like to say I'm enjoying the twitters but inside I'm seething with jealousy. Tokyo is awesome. Jealous jealous jealous. :)

I'm loving this shampoo ad right now.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tzCUl4cG8X8

[Mark McGuinness]

Nice work if you can get it! Enjoy.

[np]

You lucky thing. Humph

[lauren]

i completely missed these posts! how shocking! tokyo sounds a blast - and how great to see Maman in a variety of places!