William Gibson on Japan and London
Absolutely brilliant piece from Gibson on reflected Japanese-ness. I’ve noticed this while in London a couple times, but could never write it like William Gibson:
The Observer | Life | Modern boys and mobile girls
A sample:
London, being London and whatever else, eminently assured of its ability to do whatever it is that London’s always done, can reflect Japan, distort it, enjoy it, in ways that Vancouver, where I live, never can. In Vancouver, we cater blandly to the Japanese, both to the tour-bus people with the ever-present cameras and to a delightful but utterly silent class of Japanese slackers. These latter seem to jump ship simply to be here, and can be seen daily about the city, in ones and twos, much as, I suspect, you or I might seem to the residents of Puerto Vallarta. ‘There they are again. I wonder what they might be thinking?’
