Occupation:
Marketing consultant and artist Time in Japan:
One year
What do you do here? My academic background is in marketing, but I like to make the most creative use
of it. I look at companies and products I am interested in and give suggestions and advice
on product or communication strategies. I like to observe lifestyles, and I am very
interested in art. I also like to write.
What do you write?
I once wrote a novel called "Social Security Numbers." It was about love, hate,
ambition, struggle, the observation of individuality as an indefinite object. Even though
humans only exist through constantly changing, through metamorphosis, the only definite
value attached to our identity is our social security number. And that says nothing about
us. In the future I' also like to write about Tokyo.
Where are you from?
Milan. I am half French, half Italian.
What brought you to Japan?
The culture. It was separated from any other for centuries, and all of a sudden had to
interact with input from many different places. And it does so in a very distinctive way.
I also came for love-a beautiful love story with a woman. It didn't work out for us, but
she's happily married now and at least we're still friends.
Do you speak Japanese?
One of my reasons for coming to Japan was to study the language, so in my first six months
here I refused to speak anything but Japanese. But to me, language is only a tool I need
to interact with companies and their projects.
What do you like most about Japan?
There are a lot of things I love in this country. I like the contrast between the
traditional and extremely contemporary aspects, and I like the way they manage to coexist
so well.
What do you dislike most about Japan?
I dislike myself when I'm not able to take on some of the cultural challenges as an
element of enrichment. I think everything here can be to my advantage.
If you could take one thing back from Japan to your native country, what would it
be?
It would be impossible not to take everything back as everything is the experience I have
lived here. Even if I wanted not to take something back I couldn't; it's under my skin.
Do you have a favorite place to eat or drink in Tokyo?
There is a ramen-ya in Mitaka that I like to go to. The miso ramen there is incredibly
rich in vegetables. It's really dirty but I love it because it has the memory of people
who have been eating there. The old woman is not only serving me a bowl of ramen, she's
serving me the life of many people.
Where would you like to be when the big one hits?
I wouldn't leave Tokyo out of fear of the big one but if I was living in Tokyo, maybe I
would make sure I lived in a strong building!
Where would you like to be at the turn of the century?
Somewhere on this tiny planet.
You have to spend the rest of your life trapped on the Yamanote line. You're
allowed to take one book, one CD and one luxury item. What would they be?
For a book I would take one of those cheap manga, and the CD would be something of
Vivaldi's. I really like Baroque music as it puts me in a good mood. I can't live without
secrets, so the quantity of secrets I take would be equivalent to a luxury item.
Dimitri Herskovits spoke to Kate Crockett.
Occupation:
LIFE IN JAPAN: