Tokyo-'the most interesting city in the world'?

In the mid-eighties the city guide magazine "Pia" carried an ad with the tag line: "We live in the most interesting city in the world." "Pia" has some regional versions, but the 'most interesting city in the world' they were referring to was Tokyo. I know this line reflected ttimes when the economic bubble was starting to swell and business was booming, but I also distinctly remember feeling that they'd somehow gotten it wrong.

 

Indeed, compared to earlier eras, cinema, music, theatre and art were more abundant and of better quality. In cinema, for instance, it was a time when there was a diversity of selections offered, not only major Hollywood productions, but also minor works from the different European countries and action films from Asian countries. And while theatres showing the classics were folding, wasn't it also a time when the so-called 'cinema complexes' appeared, and when Athenee Francais, L'Institut Franco-Japonais de Tokyo and the National Film Center started to make concerted efforts to show a greater variety of films?

 

The trend continues today, and in terms of variety, (and despite high-ticket prices and final screenings that start too early due to public transportation schedules) Tokyo now stands unrivaled as a film capital. For this we owe a great deal to the efforts of the many filmmaking and cinema-related professionals, but neither can the role of Pia be overlooked. I myself have relied on Pia to help me efficiently view several hundred films a year. I think circumstances are much the same for music, art, theatre, and dance as well.

 

A country without a quality newspaper

Having properly evaluated the facts, I venture to say that Tokyo’s 'number one proclamation' is absurd. However, the issue is not just a quantitative and qualitative comparison of cultural events with cities like Paris and New York. The problem lies in the fact that Tokyoites are astonishingly unaware of other cities—of the outside world—and this is the way it has always been. To what extent do we know what is being seen, heard, read, and talked about in other major cities? Films, music—if we can't put them in context, can't be fully understood.

 

Of course even in other major cities of the world many people concern themselves with nothing but their immediate surroundings. Take newspapers for example; sensationalistic tabloids reporting political scandals, celebrity gossip, and bizarre street incidents sell well in whatever country. (I admit to being a 'ToSpo' [Tokyo Sports] fan myself.)

However European and North American countries also have real quality newspapers—unlike Japan’s self-professed 'quality papers'—and although fewer in number, each of them has its own significant readership.

 

The political stance of each these papers differ. At times they are guilty of false reporting and misinformation, and some give the impression of being overbearingly lofty. Still, compared to Japanese 'quality papers' with their two-page international sections, the amount of international news coverage is different. And because of the number of intellectuals among their readership, the diffusion of their reporting and influence is also different. It’s like a gourmet supermarket with a full-range of foods from around the world where gourmands gather.

 

By comparison, the product lineup of the Japanese 'quality papers' is meagre. They carry only domestic foods, which are not very fresh, and they harbour the preconception that ethnic foods won't sell, so they don't purchase them directly, and instead rely on an overseas trading company. Having never seen the ingredients, they can't possibly imagine exotic cuisine. By the same token, if the media and people don't relate to events, they essentially don't exist.

 

To enjoy city living

In creating 'REALTOKYO' we do not entertain any such loft ambitions as opening a giant gourmet supermarket. We aspire to something much more humble. We live in an age where the thresholds between countries have been lowered, where socializing across national borders is simple, where distance is spanned and we have the same topics of conversation in common. Not talk about stock prices or real estate—an exchange of information centering on topics in cinema, music, and the fine and performing arts. It creates a place for individuals to gather to chat about the world’s delectable things far from cultural isolationist sensibilities.

 

There are a number of intellectual/cultural communities in Europe and North America that have built tight information networks. These people can generally discuss the same films, music, exhibitions, theatre, books and current topics. If someone isn't well informed about a particular affair, someone else brings him or her up to date. In other words, an open communications space poles apart from 'isolationism'. Thanks to the Internet, this kind of space can transcend national borders. We, too, want to create such a space.

 

We thought it best to start by gathering Tokyo-related cultural information and introducing it in both Japanese and English. To help keep track of the information you don't want to forget, we've developed an easy-to-use 'Scheduler' and a 'Reminder Email Service'. We've also devised systems by which anyone can easily upload information, and both well-capitalized organizations and individuals alike can make publicity announcements. Urbanites wanting tools to enjoy everyday urban living—this was our real intention and underlying motive.

 

Without the power of the media giants, there is a limit to the extent we can collect news outside Tokyo. However, we would like to gather as much outside news as possible. Through the Internet we can work on a finer level with the kind of small, personal but exciting events that less nimble media can't or won't follow. Ideally we will be able to cover not only one city, but the entire planet—at which point 'REALTOKYO' will become 'REALWORLD' or 'REALPLANET'.

 

I don't think present-day Tokyo is the most interesting city in the world. But I think we're living in an age that’s interesting in its own way. Of course the 'age' I am referring to is not restricted to the bounds of a single country. It is precisely because it is not restricted that it’s interesting. I think we are living in an interesting age, in an interesting world, on an interesting planet.