Kita no Yado Kara

[Pachipro]

It was 1977. I had just started my freshman year at Sophia University and had been out of the Army for a little more than three months. Rather than move to Tokyo to be closer to school and work, I ended up renting an apartment not far from the base as most of my friends were still stationed there, and I knew the area well. Besides, I could get three rooms for the price of one in Tokyo.

I lived near Odakyu Sagamihara station which was halfway between Camp Zama at Soubudai Mai station and the base hospital at Sagami Ono. This station was also where the base housing was for the military families stationed at Zama. It was about 30 minutes by express to Shinjuku station from Sagami Ono on the Odakyu line.

One spring night I was feeling rather bored and decided to go on out to a bar to have something to do and to continue to explore my new found freedom. It was one of the first times I would venture out on my own without any Japanese or American friends. Previously, if I went out alone, I usually only went to bars and ‘snacks’ that someone had taken me to, or I had visited previously with friends. Up until today I had never ventured into a new bar alone. Today I was feeling cocky and decided to give it a try.

I ventured on up to the area around the train station and walked up and down the narrow streets trying to decide which bar would be most welcoming for a foreigner. I didn’t want a hostess bar where I would get ripped off for drinks. I wanted a regular bar where I could just drink.

In Japan, as most men living there can attest to, they have what they call “Hostess Bars”. These are bars where a bunch of girls work hustling drinks at 500 yen a clip for what amounted to brown water or tea on up to 1,000 yen for the real stuff. Here the girls would split half the cost with the proprietor or mama-san. The more drinks they could hustle, the more they made. As long as you kept buying drinks for them they would sit next to you, rub your leg, and make you feel like you were the sexiest man in the world. As soon as you slowed down, or stopped buying them drinks, they would move to the next customer. If it was a really slow night and she liked you, or knew you as a regular, she might spend the night with you. I spent a fortune in these places in Chinatown in Yokohama during my first year there in 1977! Man did they see me coming! I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it though, as quite a few times it “paid off” at the end of the night.

It was difficult around a military base in the mid 70’s as a lot of bars and snacks that didn’t strictly cater to servicemen, like near Yokosuka base, refused service to foreigners as they were usually loud and obnoxious, and sometimes didn’t want to pay their bill after they ran up a few thousand yen, or demanded that they be allowed to pay in US dollars. Since Camp Zama was a small base these bars were few.

I decided on a little hole in the wall “snack” called “Murasaki” as I saw a pretty good looking woman enter about 15 min earlier. (Why else should a foreigner enter a strange establishment?) Also, there was no sign saying “No Foreigners” tacked outside. I took a deep breath and went on inside. I was greeted with “Irashaimase”, welcome.

There were two women behind the bar, a woman in her 40’s and one in her 20’s. Both pretty good looking. The older woman was dressed in a kimono. This was the mama-san, or the owner or manager. The woman I had seen enter the bar was now behind it. Another woman was seated with a customer.

I took a seat at the bar. I knew basic Japanese fairly well, including reading and writing at the time, as I had studied it for a year on the base and was taking it at the University.

Immediately the older woman (mama-san) said in Japanese to the younger woman, “What is he doing in here? I hope he has yen and not dollars. Should we serve him?” She looked at me and said in broken English, “What drink?” Playing dumb, I said in English, “Kirin Beer kudasai”.

She said “hai” and placed two coasters in front of me. She placed a glass and a bottle of Kirin beer on them. She poured the beer into the glass and I proceeded to drink while they politely ignored me.

After a while the mama-san said to one of the other girls “I wonder why he came in here. We don’t have American music. The ‘gaijin’ that usually come in here usually have one or two drinks and then leave. I hope he has yen.” The other girl answered to the effect that my hair was long so I couldn’t be in the military. She said to the mama-san that maybe I worked on the base. After that they went about their business and didn’t say anything else. They took it for granted that I didn’t speak any Japanese. (This is the norm in Japan.)

Another customer came in and the younger girl behind the bar quickly sat next to him at the bar. He seemed to be a regular as he was asked how he was and then they talked about things I didn’t understand. He quickly ordered her a drink. They were hostesses after all, but they didn’t bother with me.

I quickly drank the first beer and asked for another. “300 yen ok? Now 600 yen ok?” the mama-san said holding her left index finger against her left palm that had all five fingers showing. I said, “Ok”, and put 1,000 yen on the bar. She took the money and gave me back 400 yen.

Halfway through the second beer the alcohol started coursing through my veins and I began to feel pretty confident. I figured I’d impress the hell out of them and play some Japanese music.

I took a 100 yen coin from the bar and went over to the juke box. Of course the music was all in Japanese and I thought, “s**t, I hope I can read enough to select a song and not make a fool out of myself.”

I could hear them talking behind me that they didn’t have any American music and that I probably didn’t know any Japanese songs.

Why did they think I was American? I could’ve been Canadian, or English, or Dutch, or German for all they knew. This used to piss off my foreign friends from these countries. All foreigners in Japan at that time (maybe still today) were considered American if they were white.

Anyway, I digress. They were right. Sure I knew the tunes to some Japanese popular songs that I heard in bars or on the radio, but I didn’t know any titles to them. But I could read some Japanese.

I selected two songs that I could read with basic Kanji: 北 の 宿 から (Kita no Yado Kara, by Miyako Harumi ) and 赤い くつ (Akai Kutsu, by the Hi-Fi Set). Little did I know at the time I selected those songs that I would drink for free that night and they would all become my friends.

As Kita no Yado Kara started playing I sat at the bar. The mama-san looked at the other girls with a bemused look and then looked at me and said in Japanese, “Do you speak Japanese?” I answered that I spoke a little and she quickly smiled and said “Ah soo desuka”.

Then she hit me with so many questions so fast that I had to slow her down and tell her that I was just learning and was a student. Then the other lone customer came up to me and said, “congrajulashions,” and ordered me a drink. He and the hostess came and sat next to me.

For about the next two hours, the entire conversation was in Japanese with a little English thrown in here and there and I didn’t pay for a single drink. Even the mama-san bought me a beer. I stumbled home completely drunk for 600 yen!

I had no idea that Kita no Yado Kara was one of the most popular “enka” and karaoke songs of the previous year and is still popular today. It was just easy to read in Japanese!

Needless to say “Murasaki” became one of my favorite hangouts throughout my college years until it closed in 1981 to make room for a six-story business establishment filled with bars and restaurants. I made many friends in that place, a few of which are still friends today. And all of my visits were conducted in Japanese only! The best way to learn the language!

I also gained a few private students that wanted to learn, or improve, their Basic English skills which turned out to be pretty profitable.

In the end, a little language goes a long way. And even if you know only a little Japanese don’t be hesitant to try it out and enter a strange establishment. It will make you many friends, open many doors, and introduce you to a completely new world and culture.

Besides, it will completely impress the hell out of the Japanese as they figure that anyone that can learn their language must be pretty bright as they have a real difficult time with other languages.

If you’re living in Japan and learning the language, stay away from the tourist places or English speaking places, and visit the out-of-the-way places - even if you have only a basic understanding of the language. You’ll be glad you did.

[dadako]

Thats a sweet story dude!

I lived in "oga-saga" for about 8 months, not once did I see a gaijin. The military base is still near there (I think it's near machida right?) and I used to see some loud drunk americans on the train every now and then.

I think it's very easy to make friends in Japan if you are in a bar.

[Timsan]

nice story

[Pachipro]

Originally Posted by dadako

I lived in "oga-saga" for about 8 months, not once did I see a gaijin. The military base is still near there (I think it's near machida right?) and I used to see some loud drunk americans on the train every now and then.

I think it's very easy to make friends in Japan if you are in a bar.

I lived two stops from Machida Station for 12 years and was in the Army from '73-'77 there and I never heard of "oga-saga". Maybe it was a secret military base. Thus you never saw a "gaijin". Maybe you could elaborate a little more. There was the hospital at Sagami-Ono (now closed), the housing facility at Odakyu Sagamihara station, the base at Soubudai Mai station in Zama, and the Army depot in Sagamihara city (closed, I think).

And yes, it's very easy to make friends in Japan in a bar. Especially if you know the language a little and don't act stupid.

Originally Posted by Timsan

nice story

Thank you Tim

[JustJosh]

A great read. Abit of effort clearly gets you somewhere in Japan. We take it for granted in the UK, if your a foreigner, and you speak English, it's just expected, and if you don't, people can be quite cold about it, maybe even resentfull. Then again, we expect everyone to know English. Yet the National outlook towards foreign languages is 'Just speak slowly and point alot, they should all know English anyway." This, I might add, is only a half-joke ;)

I myself have only just started learning Japanese, going through the Kana and picking up Kanji here and there. Right now I'm only driven to do it as a hobby, but of course I hope I get quite fluent and make it to Japan in my lifetime.

[lexico]

I thoroughly enjoyed your story. Amzaing how you can bring all those elements together in such short space!
Makes me want to listen to that famous kita no yodo kara~

Originally Posted by JustJosh

...in the UK, if your a foreigner, and you speak English, it's just expected, and if you don't, people can be quite cold about it, maybe even resentfull.

Even animosity for speaking with an American accent. It's definitely bad public relations for the country; perhaps Britain can learn a little bit from Japan?

[Maciamo]

Why did they think I was American? I could’ve been Canadian, or English, or Dutch, or German for all they knew. This used to piss off my foreign friends from these countries. All foreigners in Japan at that time (maybe still today) were considered American if they were white.

Things haven't changed much since the 70's. A few of the Japanese I have known for over 2 years still sometimes mistake and ask me things like "Is this an American habit?", "How do you do in America?", "What do you Americans think of...", etc. I have told them many times I wasn't American, and my accent cannot be confused for an American one, but hell it's Japan ! (I have to admit that people who still mistakes after knowing me well are quite rare).

Besides, it will completely impress the hell out of the Japanese as they figure that anyone that can learn their language must be pretty bright as they have a real difficult time with other languages.

Mmh, I sometimes wonder if people who think that way are really dumb themselves or if they just have no will to learn. A third possibility is that they think that their language is too difficult for foreigners to learn, as they lack the intellectual qualities of the Japanese. Well, maybe that third possibility is actually the same as the first one, with a pinch of racist prejudices.

[ArmandV]

Very enjoyable story, Pachipro.

The only time I spent alone in a bar was last summer at T.G.I. Friday's in Roppongi. We had a big dinner (around 60 people) party there the night before that I organized, so I was somewhat known there. I wasn't alone for long.

Some of the waitresses who recognized me from the dinner party came over and we all started chatting in English. One is interested in getting into the travel business (so I gave her some contacts in the industry) once she graduates from college. I found them very friendly and approachable. It certainly an ego-boost to be "holding court" in a bar in a foreign country with attractive women.

You and I are close in age (I'm 51), so I can relate to some of your posts on your adventures in your younger years. Keep 'em coming!

[Pachipro]

Originally Posted by ArmandV

It certainly an ego-boost to be "holding court" in a bar in a foreign country with attractive women.

You can say that again. Especially when you're in your early 20's. I will relate my experience with this during the Disco era of the late 70's in Roppongi while I was a student. Man was that a great time to be a single foreigner.

[keanureave2002]

hi..That is a great story.. i will try to do as you said " Do what you love And you'll never work another day in your life"

[Sody]

Another great story, thanks for posting that.

Sody

[Aaron Tan]

nice story..