Super Japanese Guide in The Metropolitan Museum メットの達人

I tried to go to The Metropolitan Museum of Art(The MET) on the Upper East Side in Manhattan alone. To go to the Museum, I got on an express bus near my apartment to the Port Authority at 42cnd St in Manhattan, and got on the E line uptown bound and transferred to no.6 line uptown bound at Lexington Av/53rd St and got off at 77th St. It took about 1 hour. Then I walked to the Museum in about 10 minutes. I joined a Japanese guided tour from 11:15 am. They offer this tour 3 times a week at 11:15 am for free. The Japanese guided tour in the museum was the first challenge for me. It was really good for my understanding of the key points of each representative work of art in the MET. After the tour, I took a light lunch and watched the special Rembrandt exhibit.

Then I walked around the MET. When I was thinking of going home because the MET is too big to look at everything in a day, one boy whom I watched on the Japanese tour asked me very slowly in Japanese " Are you Japanese?(Nihon jin de su ka?)" Then he showed me the magazine in Japanese. Looking at the magazine, he himself was in the magazine SOTOKOTO. The article was over 5 pages and the title was 'Voluntary life special feature'. It said his name was EndoYuki and he has been a unofficial voluntary Japanese guide of the MET for over 10 years!!! He came to NY in 1996 with his mother when he was 10 years old. He was born with a rare chromosome disorder that left him disabled and makes it hard for him to speak clearly, etc. He pointed out the article with Tiffany's gorgeous silver trophy, " Do you want to see this?" Yes, I asked him to take me there.


He started to walk quickly and took me to the place, waking through the art spaces where I had never gone. Everywhere he guided me was interesting places I had never entered in the MET, even when I have visited the MET 3 times up to now, so I didn't know the places even existed. The places are open to the public but the MET is such a big and complicated museum it's hard to find places. Though they are like hidden spaces, he could go so smoothly and fast. We also took a hidden elevator, which is like a part of an art room but is really an elevator. Tiffany's arts space was so interesting and I could see the founder of Tiffanys, Charles Luis Tiffany's son, Luis Comfort Tiffany's stained glass art etc.

Then he guided me to a rooftop terrace where I could see Central Park and the Upper East Side. Furthermore he also took me to the castle in Central Park, 'Belvedere Castle'. Then he let me know how to get to the Port Authority from there and took me to the subway station. Unexpectedly I had a very enjoyable and exciting time. He showed me a lot of things I've never seen but also showed me vitality and courage. Here in the US, I often hesitate to speak to strangers. Otherwise, he is trying it everyday in the MET and NY city, and this is not Japan but a foreign country. Because of his character, all the staff at the MET are his friends. Each staff member gives him a high five and says something in a familiar way. I received power from him. I'd like to emulate his action.
Thank you again, Yuki!



These are articles about Yuki.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
SOTOKOTO