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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.

cityculturedarknightsocietyfree verse

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Zyrool Gifford

March 19, 2025 at 9:27 AM

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

Alan Ireland

March 20, 2025 at 3:28 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

August 14, 2017 at 9:15 AM

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

Dean Wood

June 13, 2017 at 5:57 PM

Very nice Alan!

Michael S. Johnson

May 31, 2017 at 7:01 PM

Very well written.

Dean Wood

June 13, 2017 at 5:58 PM

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

Alan Ireland

May 31, 2017 at 9:28 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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