I may be moving to Tokyo in a year or two and I would like to learn more about the city and about contemporary Japanese culture. As a capital city I am sure they have a lot to do, what kind of Opera is available in Tokyo? what about concerts? What sort of holidays and festivals do they celebrate in japan? I know Tokyo is a very crowded city, how does this affect people living there? is it rare to find an empty street or corner of a park?
Any advice or information is appreciated, thank you.
First of all, Japan is not western Opera maniac country. Most of all Japanese don’t pay western Opera at all. They neither understand English nor Italian. Some fake Opera are played by Japanese, which are absolutely nothing but grunge.
Don’t expect any good Opera performance in Tokyo like New York, Paris, Vienna or Rome. Your opportunity to watch them in Tokyo would be rather lower than as if you were in Fresno, CA.
There is traditional Japanese classic Kabuki alike Opera, but it is totally different from genuine western Opera and played by Japanese only. You may take some interpreter ear phone to understand what they say in English though. It is anyway not Contemporary Japanese culture.
Actually western Opera itself is not any contemporary culture, it is?
Talking about concert, there are yes of course, so many concerts from classic music to pop music of overseas and Japanese. J-POP music is still very popular among young generation of Japanese.
I don’t think any western classic music is strongly supported by them. Of course, there are always core maniacs for the particular category of art everywhere. Tokyo is no exception.
Re holidays of Japan, please refer this below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holidays_of_Japan
Festivals are so many to tell here as same as every country has. But one thing you have to be noticed in advance, this country is not Christian country.
Christian religious ceremony is not first priority there. Buddhists or non religious Japanese are many who don’t pay any attention to church. This is one of indifferent peculiarity from westen culture. There is no church in center of any city but those just remain unknown in Tokyo.
Talking about crowdness of Tokyo, just imagine Manhattan. People who are in crowded place will resemble either way. They look indifferent to outsider, feel invisible pressures, conceited too much on surface, however, are also still very honest, generous, intellectual and patient.
You can easily find out empty street, corner of park or vacant seat at free place on weed-day morning to early afternoon. There are many large park, like Yoyogi park, Hibiya park, Ueno park, Imperial palace park etc.
To recongnize modern Japanese culture, Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku, Akihabara are the places you must go. Seeing is believing. Eating is relieving. So enjoy Tokyo.