Those Days, Those Times, Those Guys (8)

As I was drinking a beer while watching the news, all of a sudden the figure of Joji Abe in his younger days popped up on the screen. “Has he…?” I thought. The female newsreader announced he had died. The next day’s newspaper carried the headline: DEATH OF JOJI ABE. Below, the article sketched out …

Those Days, Those Times, Those Guys (6)

A variety show was airing on TV when two guys in their 30s walked in. “What?! No baseball?” one of them said straight off the bat. “Quick, change the channel!” shouted the other. I fixed them with a blank look. “Sorry, our TV doesn’t show baseball.” They glared at me. “Feel free to go somewhere …

Those Days, Those Times (6)

Asagaya used to have three cinemas, but by the 1970s only the Odeon-za near the station remained. Mr. Agata, the manager, was one of my regular customers. He’d stop by the restaurant at the start of each month and on the way out leave 10 tickets (“this month’s offering”). I’d distribute them among the regulars …