My fake Japanese was smooth enough to earn me the title of 'The Emperor of Pleasing Graciousness' in that country.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
My life was very Japanese.
I also won one from the emperor of Japan, with a prize for the arts. That's important.
I couldn't speak Japanese very well, passport regulations were changing, I felt British, and my future was in Britain. And it would also make me eligible for literary awards. But I still think I'm regarded as one of their own in Japan.
I know just enough Japanese to get by if I get lost and greet an audience properly, just from having a lot of Japanese friends and being there over the years.
The Japanese seem to be a loyal audience.
I wanted Kimi to be a Japanese record with a Japanese title. I wanted it to be for them. They appreciate things on a different level, and take their art very seriously - that's special if you're an artist.
Japanese food makes me feel particularly good.
It is impossible to remain indifferent to Japanese culture. It is a different civilisation where all you have learnt must be forgotten. It is a great intellectual challenge and a gorgeous sensual experience.
The Japanese have perfected good manners and made them indistinguishable from rudeness.
I was born into a very important family in Japan. My grandfather was a descendant of the Emperor, and we were very wealthy.