Liner Notes: Exit Tokyo Vintage Rhodes - Benjamin Smith Vox - Benjamin Smith Produced by Phillip Peterson Cello and Double Bass - Phillip Peterson Percussions - Benjamin Smith and Phillip Peterson Ambient Freeway - Interstate-5 Seattle 1. Susuki River- I wonder how often this river rises, susuki This weekend the level is low and the heat Men are smoking and women are making yaki-tori, running children I,, am enjoying this time, alone Seeing the playground never flooded, below the bridge And wondering if this winter the water will ever rise. 2. Wasabi Farm- Hotaka shines through the cold mountain water Cultivating tubers for the city, I don’t want to forget The clarity of the river bed, bent by refraction Reflection, ringing the shrine Looking into the midnight, lighting up the offerings Seeing the stone woman Cold wasabi ice-cream, lichen green 3. Birthday- Yasunobu is wearing his gift A chicken mask Everyone is at ease. Laughing we fall on the floor. 4. Matsumoto Park- Cutting through matsumoto park, early morning The wooden castle five hundred years of history To my left, a pond with koi waiting for bread The leaves are changed, and falling on the concrete One asks for closer attention So I lay on the sidewalk and look at it, it has veins Orange purple red and faded green University students are sitting quietly together She’s sitting on his lap, in the pagoda They are not speaking, still A silent love, I feel with this detached maple leaf 5. High-school- Clear wood finished in natural blonde Dipping into the valley Rectangular windows transferring A feeling of the alps Into the halls and classrooms Sitting at the black grand piano Words come easily here, losing clarity But the music decayed. 6. Curry Pastries- Stop in On the left of the street Past the construction workers “It’s the same everywhere people are always working on roads They never finish” Past the cd shop on the right, a classical specialist And one more shop on the left a Chinese apothecary Hoofs and dried ginseng, jars with herbs and animals Then a pan-ya on the left In the door after one step And filling a pocket with curry pastries, wrapped in white paper. Pull it out in the autumn tonight, looking at the mountains Look down on this country town, silver grey in the evening. 7. Ise Shrine- Monks brewed beer here, rice wine Sake Tsubo gateway calling us over running water And endless gravel paths Every tree allowed to grow in freedom Up the steps Blue hooded monks move in contrapuntal directions An old woman is alone at the bottom of the steps Content to be there I’m here now. 8. Rice Field- Moving today into the city, excitement Pedaling home through the country one last time A cable forms a triangle with the telephone pole And a car in front driving too fast, pedaling too fast Don’t slow down, duck and swerve between the cable and pole Waking up in the rice paddy, one second of eyes shut Crash wrist first into the field Bent front wheel And bruised ego. Get back up and leave the countryside. You left your imprint on me. 9. Pearls- Rasping islands, small off the coast Rocky and grey, with an occasional pine Surviving the saline It’s sunset, musk colors Velvet pacific absorbing light Set in a bay A wooden dock Robbing the sea of her jewels Finding what was hidden And bringing the mysterious Under a lamp. Leave, I’m standing out by the van Taking in the mist of salt and water Friends bring a gift, let’s jump into this Ocean Sink down into the tidal force Looking up, what can you hear? Can you feel the heron flying by? 10. Night Pedaling- Pedaling past the city lights, groups of students Tennis courts lit up the night, laughing girls Glimpse into the karate dojo through a wooden shutter Boys on the corner bikes zigzagged on the sidewalk Sipping noodles and reading manga Riding past the vending machines, no coffee tonight At the river edge, the night comes out. Cherry trees line the path, outlines by moonshine Now I can see stars, I know they are the same back home But now is the sensation of cold flowing into my face Pedaling hard in the dark There is nothing between us anymore Cross tge bridge Dyno-light on Frozen rice fields on either side of the road A car’s fog lights illuminating the street Passes and is gone, leaving the names of stars I don’t know Thanks: to my friend Toshi, who exits tokyo to see the stars, and fell in love with my music. my beautiful friends and family - call or text me to let me know how you "exit the city and find some peace in nature..." 253.224.9096 anytime, really...love, Ben