Tokyo Blond Is Not Porn

Tokyo Blond is not a porn blog, about hair or even, as one pithy friend remarked, a micro beer or late 1980s glam metal band ("Dude, I just saw Skid Row and Tokyo Blond opened and played a killer set").


The purpose of this blog is to chronicle my experiences in Tokyo - poignantly, visually, irreverently - for fun.


Anybody can tag along...that is if I like you. This blog will endeavor to be entertaining and honest and frequent enough to keep those following interested including me.


Saturday, September 3, 2011

Oh What a Night!

So there we were Saturday afternoon, just Russell and me and about two million Japanese people, all vying for a place to sit to watch the 2011 Sumida River Fireworks, allegedly one of the best fireworks displays in the world.  We had considered leaving first thing in the morning to camp out but our neighbors told us that would not be necessary.  "Just head over there in the afternoon," they advised.

When we got there around 3pm, it was already pandemonium.  It seemed like everything was blocked off.  We had strategically identified two parks that run alongside the river as possible viewing locations.  But a large portion of these were blocked off and were being used as police staging areas.  That's not right.
Thousands of people were just milling about, a lot of them wearing colorful kimono's.  It was a cacophony of colors.

We kept walking, bustled along by the throngs around us.  Finally we seemed to be beyond the police barricade and to a section of the park open to the public.  It was packed, not a sliver of grass showed through the multi-colored patchwork of blankets and tarps.  What are we going to do now?!  We looked on dismayed.

But then something miraculous happened.  As we were walking down the stairs from yet another impounded area, a kindly Japanese man smiled at us and made a comment in excellent English, "Hard to find a spot isn't it?"  Truer words could not be spoken.  Russell and I both wholeheartedly exclaimed, "Yes!"  And then he said, "Why don't you come sit with me and my family."  Russell and I looked at each other in shock.  "Really! You sure you don't mind?"  "Absolutely!" he encouraged.

And suddenly we found ourselves following him across the patchwork of tarps and blankets to a premiere viewing location, right next to the river.  He explained how his oldest son, who lives in Tokyo, had come the night before with one of his friends to secure this location.  We could not believe our luck.

His family could not believe it either.  Look whose coming to dinner! Suddenly I felt like Sidney Poitier.  The looks we got when we showed up were comical to say the least.  I don't know who looked more shocked - us or them.  Russell broke the ice.  "We brought wine!"  That seemed to get a chuckle out of those who understood English.

Our host showed us where to sit and introduced us to his sons and wife.  Everyone seemed to call him Papa.  Although he told us he was over 60, like so many Japanese, he looked at least ten years younger.  The fact he was dressed rather hip in white jeans, a designer silver gilded shirt and a smart cap belied his age as well.  He had a great smile and an easy laugh.  He translated our conversation to his younger son who seemed very interested in us and where we came from.  Russell opened a bottle of rose we had brought and soon we had a lot of new friends wanting to try this strange vintage.  I didn't know if they were interested in the wine or the surprise American couple now sharing their hard sought space.

One bottle turned into four and soon we had made friends with several of his family and friends, even his wife seemed to abide us.  They had sequestered a pretty large space, right next to the fence along the river.  Their area was barricaded off with ice chest after ice chest filled with Japanese canned mixed drinks.  When our wine ran out we switched to these delicious canned concoctions. They were dangerous because they tasted like peach or grape sodas but were laced with soju, an Asian kind of vodka.

The middle of the space had low tables each piled high with Japanese snacks.  At first we felt uncomfortable eating their food, especially when we discovered his wife had stayed up all night making it especially for her family and friends.  But soon we were tipsy and decided we better eat something.  So we ate and it was great.  It was so interesting.  His family was so gracious.  His own son and his female friends served us both personally. They actually made us each a plate, carefully selecting the choicest food, as opposed to the American way, aka, the serve-yourself-you're-on-your-own-pal.

As we sat enjoying the homemade food, I couldn't help but muse how different the fare would be if we were at a fireworks display in America.  Instead of eating squid jerky (awesome btw), sweet egg omelets (Tomago) and rice wrapped in fried tofu, we'd be eating chips and salsa, cheese and crackers, sandwiches and maybe some potato salad, probably bought at CostCo.  Would we invite a random Japanese couple walking by?

The fireworks, although spectacular, were secondary to the experience we were having.

We truly had an amazing time!  I'm still in awe when I think about it.  I've always thought I lead a charmed life and this experience was just another testament to that but more importantly, it served as a lesson in how generous and gracious the Japanese are.  As we rode home on the train later that night we still couldn't believe it and we were grateful.

Thank you to Papa and his family and friends for giving us this gift.  The memories will last a lifetime.

Our host and his youngest son. 
That's my hat.

Russell with our host's daughter-in-law (on the right, in the hat)
and her friends, holding the rice wrapped in tofu
and sparkling shiraz!  Both super yummy.

His younger son and his friends.

Oh yeah, there were Fireworks

Over an hour and a half of them

Shot off from two locations

My new friends.  
I think my hat may look better on her.








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