Identity and belonging have been themes for much of my life and underpin what I write. But identity cannot be fully investigated apart and alone. Getting out of my box, being seen and heard and returning to activities meant to get us talking, talking together, and talking together meaningfully, I realized, starts with letting others see who I can be for that moment, with them.
This summer in Tokyo I will connect with new people. I will see where Dipika Kohli-styled events can fill a void. Namely, making the valuable snippets of socializing–allocated free time count.
No dumb drinking games. No business pitch, no hidden agenda. No marketing, photo op, signup form, elitism, or trite and forced conversation, like reading a list of questions off a phone. ‘What makes for boring conversations, Dipika?’ Uhhh, that. No ghosty-ghosty hosts, or egotistical ones, either. Been there, it’s awkward to be a participant. No instagrammable venues, no overly distracted guests. I screen these out. I filter. I choose whom to invite very caringly. This exacting curation is how I assemble all that I best enjoy staging, whether it is a zine or miniparty or Cojournal. Or something new.
Possibility Parties
I’ll host a string of Possibility Parties.
Just like in Kyoto at the start of many forays into Japan, in collaboration with friends and friends of friends, 90s style, at house parties for mixing it up at my house in Demachiyanagi, say, or at all night cafes and clubs and diners, at long train ride waits on slow travels to Kobe, or many other befuddling or enlightening exchanges such as Utsunomiya for high school exchange, a Tokyo pair of working summers, Yakushima to explore The Way, trips to see family, or talking to a few Japanese acquaintances in Cambodia, a part of me is shaped deeply by having been here so much. This is what I am understanding now… I can be this me, to bridge a communication gap that so often perplexes both sides of the Japan border. Even internally there is no singular way to connect and interconnect casually, as I observed power harassment and power plays and manipulation already in some groups. Why would anyone go to a party or meetup if it is going to be boring, competitive, just plain awkward, or worse, demoralizing. No, not interested. Can I create a fresh, fun, safe experience that engages and delights?
In Man and Superman, GBS writes that the role of the artist is to show man who he really is.
Let’s try that.
会話で行きましょう。楽しいですよ。話し合いましょう。良かったら、instagram をご覧ください。
Image: Atelier S P A C E Tokyo 2025