Give or take, the second Monday of January is "everyone's" twentieth birthday here. It's actually a National Holiday and those who turned twenty in the last twelve months (not precisely but, run with me here) is celebrated. The girls wear beautiful kimono and the guys try to wear a suit. The girls do it better... There are town meetings when the responsibility of adulthood is extolled to all and sundry by the great and the good of the community. And then friends, for some they may not have seen each other since graduating High School, head into town and catch up on their latest adventures. It's an important day in the life.
And so, like many others, I'll walk into Shibuya and enjoy the spectacle. The stations used to be overflowing with excitement but these days more will take a taxi direct to the forum rather than rail and a walk. And when the ceremony is over, they're all adults. I quite like the concept, it's good to see the recognition and reward they've all achieved to this point, it's not going to be easy going forward, but this is their day and I'm always grateful to be a silent witness.
New Years Resolutions are not something of a "thing" here but I've never quite kicked the habit. And so, this year, it's "Podcasts"! But, to be honest so was last year so let's just call it a "Carry-Over". Took me four years to hold a photo exhibition but I did have the excuse of a small global pandemic getting in the way for that one (https://www.instagram.com/i_tsurulife/ if you were wondering). Actually managed to (finally) create a book of the work too. If you take a look, most are friends and about half speak English which always adds to the creative charm (sadly my Japanese sucks but you kind of raise the bar as time goes by and so it always feels like you're on the bottom rung).
Today, as I write, is Kobe Earthquake Day. Not recognised as such but I remember coming to work (in Tokyo) to hear there's been a small quake in the western city of Kobe. Turned out that it was so massive all sensor and communication links had been severed and so no one really appreciated the scale at first. I remember watching the news as the numbers climbed throughout the day eventually reaching some 5,000+ souls lost and the fires starting. The city turned red as night fell and I put a tape in, recording it till morning. Still have that tape.
Earthquakes aside, one of the real pleasures of living in this land is welcoming others new to town and, with a friend, we welcomed two Canadians who were in for the evening having spent two days snowed under in Hokkaido (them, rather than us). A wonderful backstreet location ("Kaikaya By the Sea" if you were wondering) involved introducing them on how to order sake, the elegance of chopsticks and sashimi to die for. Ten minutes from Shibuya Crossing (the crazy one), it's an easy walk and within a stone's throw of Nombe Yokocho (literally "Drunkards' Alley", an area created post war as somewhere to go in a burned out city, it's a little like a Charles Dobson experience (you may need to look, that particular reference, up) for a final nightcap. A night to remember was enjoyed by all!
And so, thirty five years after arriving in Japan for two (and being locked up at Narita airport on arrival, but that's another story for another day), I'm wondering where this year will take me. I have a place in the mountains to pass on, a two ton treehouse to dismantle (hopefully without injury, at least to me) and a car that is showing its age. Should be good. Oh, and podcasts of course. Well, maybe, possibly, downhill, with a following breeze...
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