Uncanny Japan -- Thersa Matsuura - The Karaoke Date Night -- I Survived, barely... part 2

Hey, hey, I wanted to get back with the ol' Date Night Story. Oh, it was cute. It was scary. And Kawashima-san and I had to carry each other home...I haven't had a hangover in a very, very, very long time. Oof! I'm off drinking again.

So, I met Kawashima-san at 7:30. It was stiflingly hot still. He was dressed up with a newspaper rolled up with what looked like flowers in it . For a brief moment, fear struck: Oh, dear. This really IS a date? But, alas, no. The flowers weren't for me.

He said a friend was going to join us. A man who worked for legal affairs (?), traveled all over Japan his entire life, is a certified Buddhist monk AND Shinto priest (kannushi). BOTH! He said he's the smartest man he's ever met and there is nothing he doesn't know.

I like him already.

We realized he's already waiting for us at the place, so we toddle on over. Kawashima-san stopped occasionally to pick flowers and add them to his collection. He REALLY knows his flowers. Telling me all about them. He's got an amazing garden. I'll have to get a video of it. I'll ask.

We get there. It's a karaoke box, basically imagine someone's small shed that has been converted. There was the karaoke machine, two screens to show the lyrics and videos, a low couch, a low table, and a "bar" but the place didn't serve drinks or food. Bring your own everything. The Mama-san stood mostly behind the bar or beside me and handed out glasses (of all shapes and sizes, from her house?) and buckets of ice because EVERYONE was drinking hard booze from either flasks (Kawashima-san and his friend) or bottles they had brought in themselves.

Me? I brought a small insulated bag with a couple craft beers. Boy, did I look like a wuss.

Okay. I didn't take a photo. But found one on Google Maps.

Small. ↓ That's it. That slanted roof building.

Opening the door was the first shock. I thought it was just going to be just the three of us and the Mama-san. No. There were three rough-looking dudes at the bar belting out songs. Then on the couch and around the table five regulars. Kawashima-san's friend was at the bar and there were only two stools free. No way one more person could squeeze in there.

Also, no air conditioner.

Immediately, I'm like Oh, god, no. This was a mistake. The regulars were okay. But the other three. Two young guys (31 and 36, they kept telling me their ages) looked like kobun (lit. "child status") or chinpira (kind of like punk, low level gangster) -- so the obnoxious type you're probably more familiar with when you think "yakuza". They were with a much older man, their "uncle". He seemed very nice. And already very drunk. Heat, crowded, and obnoxious guys. They actually could have not been. Yaizu people in general are a little more rougher around the edges, fishing industry and all.

My fun little quiet evening turned into "all eyes on me" -- which you never get used to or fond of. Where are you from? Blah blah blah. Side eyes.

We sit down. Kawashima-san realizes he has forgotten his flask and LEAVES! Before he does he introduces me to his friend. It was so loud I didn't catch his name. But after greetings, he reaches into his bag and pulls out a small battery-run fan. He hands it to me and I'm like . It's forever before Kawashima-san returns. I'm starting to get worried and should I go look for him. But he returns and give me a cute little bottle of something. Says it's for me. Gives the flowers to the Mama-san. Sweet.

I'm just playing it cool. Listening to all the enka (old Japanese-style songs) everyone is singing and answering questions, trying to not do anything dumb. Funny. Mama-san immediately thought I was a sex worker for Kawashima-san and I was a little flattered. Do I LOOK like "a woman who works"? Most of the times I look like something the cat dragged in. We had a good laugh. Then Kawashima-san asked for a glass and ice and poured me some of the little bottle he brought. Now. Here's where things got interesting. Second shock. I watched him open the bottle. It was really good and I said so and he was happy, but wouldn't say what it was. So after like my third glass, I started trying to read the label. That's when Kawashima-san leans over and says: That's not what's in the bottle.

He had filled the bottle with something from his house. I could have sworn it was sealed. Now I'm thinking: Have I just been roofied? Poisoned? Oh gawd.

I asked again what it was and it turns out that he had made homemade "yama budo" (mountain grape) liqueur THIRTY years ago. And this was some of that. So, totally priceless. This is probably from when his. wife was still around and his kids were still at home. So it went from I've been poisoned! To, you were kind enough to share this precious yama budo wine with ME??!!

Turns out it was exactly what he said it was. Nothing weird. But there was a moment...I even checked the top! How did I miss that it wasn't sealed?

That's the bottle to the left of the fan, with the sheep on it. My favorite alien beer in foreground. The little thing in plastic by my beer is a local snack (?). It's bonito fish boiled in sweetened soy sauce with cheese on top. It's really, really, really good. Kawashima-san brought (bless his heart), five of them and handed them out. They've gotten really expensive and I don't buy them anymore.

My blurry photo.

So the night wears on, lots of singing. The local regulars are not happy with the noisy guys. But I pick up on it and that endears them to me. So, yay. At one point Kawashima-san and I get into deep conversation about our lives and it ended with how much we really loved my father-in-law and how even he said my mother-in-law was a piece of work and didn't have a good heart. Which was interesting, because she was very good at putting on a nice face to the outside world. And his wife and her were best friends.

Everyone gets used to me and starts asking me to sing. I politely decline. I really am terrible at singing. Maybe next time. One of the younger guys was wanting to do a duet and even found a song for us, but it turned ten o'clock, and Kawashima-san showed me his watch and we were out of there in an instant. I think I did hug the rough-looking dudes. They were by the door.

Only neither Kawashima-san or I could walk properly. So we ended up holding each other by the hands and forearms and making our way home. Ha! That must have been a sight.

A very nice experience. He said we should do it once a month and make sure we chose a day there were only regulars, no loud youngins. I have decided I'll learn an old Enka song so I'll have something to sing. Two very short videos, mostly pointing at the floor. But you can feel the vibe.

The first is "Itoshi no Eri" ("Eri my Love"). This song was huge back when I was in university here. My name's Terrie. So sometimes drunk kendo guys (I was in the kendo club) would sing this to me changing Eri to Terrie. That was cute. So, a little nostalgic.

And the next is Kawashima-san singing. This vibe right here, the clapping, the shouting out, the video with the lyrics on the screen is sooooo Japan, I can't even.

So, I survived. And I'm done with drinking and celebrating. I've got two new book ideas AND I'm absolutely going to go hard on the visual novel idea. Ditched the one Richard was helping me with, but I've been reading up (and playing some) and I think I've got a really fun idea. Of course, I want to enlist Julyan with the sounds and music and Kaho-chan with the sprites/characters/backgrounds, or whatever I can afford of them two talents.

So excited to be working on New Things.

All the love, XXOO,t