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Visitation

After work,
drinking in a matchbox bar in Shimbashi,
waiting for a sign...

The noren twitches.
A hand appears between the flaps.
An eye assesses the interior,

and is gone.

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Zyrool Gifford

Date: 3/19/2025 9:27:00 AM

Hello Alan, this is a beautiful piece. An interesting read.

Alan Ireland
Date: 3/20/2025 3:28:00 PM

Thank you. I think most, if not all, of the "matchbox bars" in the Shimbashi district of Tokyo disappeared during the redevelopment of the area during the late 1960s and early 1970s. A disappointing loss of color and culture.

Patricia Cresswell

Date: 8/14/2017 9:15:00 AM

That is an interesting detail about the culture. Mysterious Mr. Moto scene.

Dean Wood

Date: 6/13/2017 5:57:00 PM

Very nice Alan!

Michael S. Johnson

Date: 5/31/2017 7:01:00 PM

Very well written.

Dean Wood
Date: 6/13/2017 5:58:00 PM

And of course, seeing a Gaijin, they move on. Been there.

Alan Ireland
Date: 5/31/2017 9:28:00 PM

Thanks. This is (or was) a common occurrence in Japan. Prospective patrons peep through a small bar's noren (doorway curtain), check those inside, and make a snap decision on whether to drink there.

Visitation

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