Naked Holidays in Japan
Michael McShane
In 1985, there was almost no Halloween
celebration in Japan, except at a few
English Language schools and maybe
some ultra-gaijin bars in Roppongi.
Then, in 1989 or so, a gaijin had an idea
to have a Halloween party on the Yamanote
train that circles Tokyo. He told everyone
he knew to wear costumes, and meet at
Shinjuku at 9 pm on the platform that
goes toward Ikebukuro. Seems that 15 or
so hardy souls showed up and they partied
and carried on inside the train as it took
one hour to loop from Shinjuku to Shinjuku.
Unfortunately, being a gaijin-non-grata
who hates hanging out in gaijin-kusai
Roppongi, I did not hear about that
party until it was too late.
But for the next three years, my video camera
and I were ready. And what a hoot it was.
Bout a half train car worth of us worthless
gaijin piled onto the train, and startled
the poor flabbergasted Japanese. We drank,
carried ghetto blasters on our shoulders,
danced, climbed up and laid
in the overhead storage racks,
and were just general idiots wearing
the best most ridiculous costumes.
The next year, a whole train carload of
us gathered including quite a few Japanese
recruits. I think that was
the year Toe and Jam were with me, and
right as the train doors slid open,
we could see a mouth on the other side,
and in slow motion it seemed liked a
projectile vomit spewed from the mouth,
and we fell all over the place trying
to get out of its deadly path. Classic Tokyo!!
And every year afterward
more and more people gathered until I had
to quit going. Heard that it got so crowded
that all the people could not even fit
on the platform. Freaks the JR rail company
out. The police come every year, but they
are hapless to stop this go-for-it crowd.
I think JR should take advantage of the
situation and make a special Halloween
train, charge people a 100 yen, pipe
music thru the train speakers, and do
some funky JR nasal type rap.
Now there is Halloween stuff for sale
in all the department stores and all
kinds of places have Halloween parties.
Last night as I was walking by
the girlie bars, which are on my way
home, all the hawkers were out front
in ridiculous costumes.
Seems like the women here use every
excuse to get as near naked as legally
possible, and all the Halloween costumes are
super sexy. Saw it live with my own eyes, and on TV
the last few days.
It makes me happy how Japan takes Western
holidays and somehow turns them into something
completely different.
Christmas Eve is now a time to have a date,
usually a full course date that includes
expensive restaurant and all night porkfest in hotel.
You can just walk around Christmas Eve and know
all the hotels are full, and smell lovemaking
in the air.
Maybe other countries should take some
Japanese holidays and adapt them in
unusual ways. How about the Emperor's
birthday: Green Day for previous emperor Hirohito,
or Dec. 23 for present emperor.
On that day, we could all wear clothes
like an emperor all day, but the rule
would be that right at dusk, everyone
has to get nekkid and go swimming.
Any other ideas.
Mr. Huggsie
Shogun of Fun and Party Word Made Flesh.
--
This is Michael McShane (nickname: Huggs) in Tokyo. Thank you.
From Kentucky, Oregon, and New Mexico.
Often visits West Virgina and Hawaii.
mic...@tky.hp.com
Matt Leonard
: History of Japanese Halloween: 1985 to 1995
<deleted funny account of Halloween party on Tokyo subway>
Well, this doesn't really give any ideas for new holiday celebrations,
etc., but I would like to quickly describe what we called the "Penis
Festival" in Matsumoto.
In late August '90, I and two friends went on a short trip to Matsumoto
(in the Japan Alps) to witness what we were told was a "fun and
interesting" festival, for two gods, I think, whose names I don't remember.
We actually stayed in Utsukushi-gahara, right outside of Matsumoto.
We stayed in a very nice ryokan, and even got tanked up and wandered around
the small town in yukata and geta just so we'd fit in. The festival was
on the second night of our stay. During that day, we hiked up a very steep
set of steps to find a small temple. It contained a gnarly (literally)
tree stump full of holes and a place for something else, which we couldn't
find.
That night, we, and everyone else in town, went out on the main street and
waited while drinking, eating and chatting. Soon enough, a group of young
men appeared at one end of the street carrying the missing object from the
temple: a large wooden penis. They visited every shop on the street, and
enthusiastically thrust the penis into and out of the shop entrance several
times while shouting "Oi-sa" or something like it. They invited women to
sit on the penis while it was being thrust, and even got a pubescent Aussie
girl to ride.
Fun for all! We figured out that the tree stump must represent "woman" and
the penis "man" (duh!). Apparently, the festival would bring good fortune
and "fertility" to the businesses and lucky women who got to ride. I've
still got a wooden "charm" with a penis burnt into it from the festival.
Anybody know the name of the festival and what it was _really_ all about?
Matt
--
mleo...@netcom.com http://stripe.colorado.edu/~leonarm/home.html
I HAVE been assured by a very knowing American of my Acquaintance in London;
that a young healthy Child, well nursed, is, at a Year old, a most delicious,
nourishing, and wholesome Food... <Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal>