Originally written on March 1st, 2007.
Disclosure: This article does not tell the reader where to go to get a massage in Yokosuka, merely discusses my last time in Yokosuka and the experiences that came from that visit. If you are interested in information on massages in Japan, you'll have to look elsewhere.
These days, whenever I'm in the Yokohama area, I always try to make it down to Yokosuka since that was my first home in Japan back in 1993-95. So, at the recent conference in Yokohama, I made sure that at least one night was dedicated to the place that introduced me to Japan.
One of the first things I noticed on this visit that the streets were empty. I wasn't sure that a curfew was put in place or the area was prohibited. I did see a few military guys walking around but it could have been likely that the Kitty Hawk was deployed. Navy’s version of the military police, Shore Patrol with their “SP” armbands was walking around Yokosuka’s Honcho area.
I made a stop by the "Honey Comb" stand and ordered a corn dog, aka "stick dog". I asked for the corn dog in Japanese and when I used the correct counter for long slender object "i-pon", she smiled and saw that I was nicely dressed. I then told her in Japanese that I was stationed down in Yokosuka 13 years ago and then she wanted to know what I was doing now. When I told her I was teaching, she replied in English, "You must make alot of money." In comparison to the Navy boys, yes I do. I'm glad to be moving in the right direction.
I had a disappointing meal at a Chinese restaurant, Bamyans. It was disappointing because the portions were small. I did notice a few military guys who knew the deal and had a big bowl or ramen. I was glad to see that the guys were experiencing something that they would not find back home.
In Tsunami’s, I drank Corona’s for 400 yen during Happy Hour and had one last one after Happy Hour for 600 yen. Back in the day, this would have only been done on a payday since a $4 beer was big money, and to be honest, it still is. As I drank and listened to classic rock and heavy metal from the bartender’s i-tunes that he managed to hook up to the bar’s stereo I chatted with him in Japanese about the good ol’ days down in Yokosuka. He told me that the bar is about three years old and then wondered were I was living now. When I told him that I was up in Saitama, he remembered getting his driver’s license in Kumagaya which is about three hours away from his hometown of Zushi, Kanagawa (south of Yokosuka). These guys in their early 20s were big in to American heavy metal. I left when they were watching a Slayer DVD.
As I left the pool bar, Tsunami’s, a string of unusual things happened as I trekked back to the Yokosuka Chuo Station.
1. As I was walking through the covered street alley near Yokosuka Chuo Station, I noticed a younger serviceman in civilian clothes walking towards the base wearing the head phones that are usually worn by a guy who is working as a DJ at a party. Then, out of the blue, he stops and starts dancing a jig next to a group of middle-aged Japanese women with the lady in the front exclaiming to her friends, “Daijobu!?!?!”(Are you OK?) As she turned with her exclamation, she saw me shaking my head in disappointment in this fool. One rule of thumb to keep in mind when you are in Japan is never behave in a way that you would not behave in back home and it is not necessary to draw extra attention to yourself. You already are getting more than necessary attention since you are a foreigner.
2. Since I was down from Saitama at a conference in Yokohama, I was packing light and staying in a capsule hotel. I was hoping for mild weather and only brought my blazer which I wore with a black turtleneck shirt at night instead of the shirt and tie in the day. So, in Yokosuka, I was over dressed to say the least since back in the day, I usually wore jeans, t-shirt and windbreaker when I was out in town on some precious liberty. So, to my surprise, I see an Asian guy hanging halfway out of a window yelling, "This is one crazy place!” In broken English. I nodded in is direction to acknowledge him and then I am passing a parked car next to a building where two women are standing.
3. The one closest to me blurts out something in my direction that I do now understand. So, I turn and look at the two women and they are talking to each other as if nothing was blurted out. I had to pause for a second since I wasn’t sure if the woman blurted it out or not. So, I break the ice and say to them in Japanese, “Nani?” (What is it?) Then the lady who blurted out the incoherent message turns from her friend and then says, “You want a massage. I’ll give you a massage for 3000 yen (US$30). I’m then walking away from them shaking my head "NO!" and then I notice to my right a poster advertising a Japanese hostess bar and next to it a night club named “Russia House” written in katakana. With the woman still behind me but now has her hand on my arm, she is still saying, “I’ll give you a massage for 3000 yen.” I turned and said to her in Japanese, “Tsuma ga imasu yo!”(I have a wife.) She then pauses and retreats and then responds, “Only a massage!”
Just as the classic movie, Smokey & The Bandit goes, Jackie Gleason`s character pulls into a rest stop and invades a camper only to arrest the captain of the local police department. As he orders his numb skull son to remove the handcuffs, he turns to the captain and says, "If you are going to hang out in these kinds of places, you should wear your badge on your tidy!"
The Divine Wind Vault
http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com
(C)2006-09
