My Image of Japan in 1986
 
Despite the fact that I have visited Japan almost a dozen times, however, the first visit in 1986 remained the most unforgettable one. During the visit, I spent every opportunity to visit the most famous Japan’s point of interests. These include Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Disney Land, The Atomic Bomb Doom in Hiroshima, travelling by “Shin Kan Zen” or bullet train and sky train, Emperial Palace, Mount Fuji, and many other museums, as well as historical sites.
 
This February, I actually have a schedule to visit Japan again, but I have an urgent assignment to complete my preparation to attend the 5th World Water Forum, in Istanbul Turkey, on 16th of March 2009 (with a bunch of paper works to do), then the visit to Japan is postponed to October 2009.
 
Since my Son have just moved to work at NHK (Radio of Japan), since 18th December 2008, I was rather disappointed to postpone my scheduled visit, so unable to observe my son and family’s recent living condition in Tokyo, but I hardly available to do this till October 2009.
 
In order to retain my most unforgettable image of Japan, as well as rememberance of my son’s moving to work in Japan, I put my 1986’s image of Japan in a canvas by means of oil paintings, illustrating the modern and traditional Japan in mosaic format. This painting was worked out with oil paint in Jakarta (February 7, 2009) on a canvas of 50 x 60 cm. The model was inspired by my first visit to Tokyo, Japan in 1986 on the occation of the Construction Guidance Service Center - JICA. I had ample chances to see the entire Metropolitan Tokyo and other sites. The model was adopted from a small sketch, I bought in the souvenir shop at the top of Tokyo Tower. The original painting is now kept at my recidence in Pondok Gede, West Java.
 
I hope that on October 2009, I could have my visiting plan materialized, so I could observe the shift of my image from 1986 to 2009, eventhough I have visited Japan so many times in between.