My legs stretched out in front of me, at least as far as they could in the cramped space of a JR train. A long day of wandering around Wakayama city had had left me pretty tuckered out and in order to balance the scales I had treated myself to a nice long soak in a local hot spring (Sakura no Yu) and a McDonalds ice cream. Just an hour or so before I had watched the sun set slowly on the ocean from a deserted beach with only my iPod and a few couples spread out thinly along the edge for company. A satisfied smile sat on my lips and I was about to pull out my cell phone for a quick e-mail when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. My head turned and that satisfied smile turned into a mirthful grin. I almost couldn’t believe what I saw, but then again it is Japan.
Muscles all over my body had been aching gently in a steady rhythm but when I saw these two middle aged ‘gentlemen’ it pretty much stopped (only to resume the next morning as I got out of bed).
It wasn’t them. They weren’t dressed in some strange costume (i.e. the 80’s fashion that seems to have infected Japan). They didn’t look like something out of a horror movie. They didn’t even smell funny. It was what they were doing.
If you didn’t know, it is legal to drink in public in Japan and many people take advantage of that (mostly the young and old because the middle aged people are too busy working). As long as you are not too disruptive almost anything goes.
A beer on the train on the way back from work, a bottle of whiskey sitting next to the river, a ‘cup sake’ while sitting in a park, it’s cool with the police.
However, these two guys were taking drinking in public to the next level.
They had taken up a ‘booth,’ two benches facing each other usually meant for four people
The preparation
to use. The man on one side, we shall refer to him furthermore as Mr. A opened up his bag and pulled out a full sized bottle of shochu (sort of like vodka) and set it next to him. The other man, furthermore Mr. B, opened up a plastic convenience store bag and pulled out three or four bags snacks then a pair of plastic cups.
Now some people will indulge in a ‘One Cup Sake’ or a beer with a small bag of snacks as they commute home but these two laid out a real feast.
My ice cream sundae slowly melted in my hand because I couldn’t take my attention from these two as they went through this process like it was an everyday affair (then again it probably is).
The pouring
While Mr. B opened the snacks and put them out on the convenience store bag Mr. A got to opening the bottle, but not before checking the label and commenting on the brand. It wasn’t until Mr. A once again took the cups in hand and I noticed exactly what they were.
As Mr. A poured shochu into Mr. B’s cup in traditional Japanese manner the distinctive sound of cracking ice was heard.
Not only had they brought a full bottle of liquor, a selection of snacks, but also cups with ice in them. They even had a new 2 liter bottle of water to cut the shochu with.
Talk about preparation, these guys were on the ball, much more then the average drinker.
The enjoying
I’m usually happy if my beer is cold and my whiskey is a decent label but I doubt they would be satisfied with such low standards, ‘gentlemen’ of alcohol as they were.
It took me a while but I was finally able to once again concentrate on the half melted vanilla and chocolate flavored mass in front of me but the grin didn’t leave my face for quite some time.
I now have a new set of standards. Thanks guys.
Only in Japan.
