Museums & Kabuki

Hello everyone,
                  This is our fifth full day in Tokyo, and we have been enjoying every minute - particularly in view of the crisp, clear weather whch is rare enough here. On Monday we went to the Suntory Museum to view an exhibition of Meissen porcelain over the last three hundred years since the factory opened in Saxony. There was a bit of everything from miniatures to huge symbolic porcelain sculptures representing the triumphs of successive Electors of Saxony - most of whom seem to have been called either August, Charles or Charles August. It was all stunning, but we were most intrigued with the whimsical miniature menageries. One collection of seven pieces made up what was called "The Monkey Orchestra". You may have noted that we seem to be drawn to edifices emanating from the munificence of Mr. Suntory and his heirs, successors and assigns. We assume that they repesent either guilt money or tax shelters or both from an immense liquor fortune, but we have enjoyed being indirect beneficiaries. We are uninformed whether there is a Suntory Rehab Centre as well.
Yesterday we went to the Kokuritsu Museum of Western Art, mainly to see the collection of the late Mr. Matsukawa of French Impressionists, Post-Impressionists and early C20 Western Art - with some later additions eg. Jackson Pollock. The collection is rather small, and rather heavy on Courbet, Puvis de Chavannes and Fantin Latour, but its interest lay mainly in what appealed to a Japanese tycoon of good family in the first half of the C20. We should also mention that there is a predictable plethora of Monets, including an oversized ''Water Lilies" - so large that it borders on the vulgar. We heard tell that there were some rather good Marie Laurencins elsewhere in the Gallery, but we chose instead to go to a minor exhibition named "The Outsiders". consisting of some very good Daumiers of various freaks and (to Daumier) foreigners. He had a very discounted view of where the Chinese stood in relation to les bons bourgeois of his day in France but, PC aside, the engravings were very fine.
This afternoon marked possibly the cultural highlight of this trip to Japan, as we both realized a lifetime ambition to see a full-on performance of the Kabuki Theatre. It was in the Naional Theatre of Japan, which is as well-designed as any modern theatre we have encountered. How to describe a Kabuki performance? It is a delightful melange of melodrama, Grand Guignol, pantomime, circus, ballet and opera buffo. It is an old form of theatre designed to entertain while recalling the glory days of the Edo period. The costumes and make-up are extravagant, and the special effects quite extraordinary - flying ghosts, enormous spiders, fiery dragons etc.  By tradition all the actors are men, but it is light years away from any notion of a drag show.
We have had two delightful dinners out, neither as it turns out in Japanese restaurants. One was hosted by Koji's nephew Masahiro in a Western fusion cafe, and last night we had dinner in a Chinese restaurant with a new friend whom Koji met as a penpal on the Internet. The meals were delightful, as was the company. But we are here until Sunday morning, and will be having lots of good Japanese food as well as visiting museums concentrating on Japanese art.
Enough for the present, as your reporter is fading fast. Best wishes to all.