June 15th, the sixth day in Tokyo

After yesterday, after that long day at the park and that late night in the izakaya, I feel I’m pushing the children. They both look very tired. We are having breakfast in the kitchen. Lila is going out with her grandmother today. They are going to visit The Anpanman Children’s Museum in Yokohoma. Museum? More like an adventure park. Something spectacular, with big crowds. Anpanman is a famous Japanese superhero who has an anpan, red bean bread, for a head. The TV series is super popular and has been running since the 70’s. I don’t think it can get more Japanese than the Anpanman Children’s  Museum. There are Anpanman life shows, playgrounds, an Anpanman Bakery, and amazing Anpanman gift shops. 

I can’t tell her grandmother that Lila is too tired to leave. They never see each other. Besides, Lila is very excited. So excited she woke up at 7 in the morning  – and all of us with her – even though we slept late. Should I protect her from herself? It’s her job to be excited. She is only 4 years old. It’s up to me to draw a line. But I don’t do that. I tell myself it’s okay. It’s one of the last days in Tokyo. It’s important for Lila to spend time with her grandmother. She will enjoy the Anpanman Children’s Museum. She can rest in the mountains later. 

Omnibus Coffee

We meet Juliens mother in Nakameguro Station. From there she takes Lila to go to the museum in Yokohama. We want to run some work related errands in and around Nakameguro. We wave goodbye and go get a coffee at one of our favourite places, Omnibus Coffee. This coffee shop is situated next to a small playground. We get a coffee and plan the rest of the day while Ima plays. 

Afuri Ramen

First, we meet one of the artists Julien works with. He has his beautiful studio in Nakameguro. We spend an hour catching up and talking about future plans. After, we want to go have lunch in Afuri, a ramen shop in Nakameguro. On our way to the shop Ima falls asleep and I hope she continues to sleep while we eat. It is really noisy inside and she wakes up straight away. I don’t feel good about it. She was so tired. But she seems happy to be awake. Why am I always so worried? I don’t even like their vegan ramen. Luckily Ima does enjoy it. 

We come home in the late afternoon. Julien wants to work for an hour. I put Ima to bed and go for a walk around Omotesando. When I’m back an hour later, Ima is awake and Lila has returned. She is laying flat on the sofa, watching Snow White. Julien and his mother are chatting. I spend some time with them, but also have get ready to go out. I have a night without children! I’m meeting Tetsuya, my university friend, for dinner and drinks tonight! 

Vegan food at Masaka Izakaya!

We meet in Shibuya at 18:30. We have dinner at a vegan izakaya called Masaka, in the Parco department store. I still can’t get used to having lunch or dinner inside a department store, but this izaka is so amazing that it’s easy to let go of these uncomfortable thoughts.

We order lots of dishes and my ultimate favourite drink Lemon Sour, kind of a Skinny Bitch, with Shōchū. Shōchū is a Japanese wodka-like beverage, containing a bit less alcohol, 25%. (Another world to discover: Shōchū) A Lemon Sour contains Shōchū, lots or fresh lemon juice and soda water. There is also some sugary syrup in it, but somehow in Japan they never make your drink taste too sweet, always fresh and sour. It’s super good and refreshing on hot days. 

I almost get uncomfortable eating the vegan karaage, fried chicken, because it tastes so meaty! What? How is that possible! Even Tetsuya, who normally eats meat, is surprised. Around us are lots of foreigners of which some look like complete hippies and I’m quite certain it’s a vegan restaurant.

After finishing dinner, we slowly walk to a wine bar on the other side of Shibuya. We talk about life. Work. Love. His dream to have children – quite difficult as a queer man in Japan, he can’t even get married let alone have children – and politics. He tells me he went to a protest for Gaza, because I shared my stories of protests I joined.

Nostalgia at Beat Cafe

We go to Beat Cafe, a place where I used to hang out all the time 15 years ago. When we enter the cafe, no-one looks up. I recognize Katoman behind the bar. Still. Same as 15 years ago. Apart from him, there are only 4 people sitting. Foreigners. Young. They are talking to Katoman who is making jokes while pouring shots. He laughs very loudly. He looks a bit older and he is seemingly drunk, but he hasn’t changed. 

We sit down and it takes a while for him to turn to us and ask if we would like a drink. He says: “What do you want?”

I’m a bit surprised he talks in English, because Tetsuya is obviously from here. 

He tells Katoman he wants a beer and I tell him I would like a lemon sour. I also add: “Hi Katoman, don’t you recognise me? I came here all the time!”  

He looks super confused. “No. 1400 yen. Only cash.” 

“I came here all the time”, I continue. “I was a student and I often came with Vicente and Naoko.” 

“Vicente?”, he asks, “That’s a very long long time ago. Like 10 years.”

“True”, I nod. 

He holds up his hand. He wants his cash. I don’t have any cash on me. Tetsuya pays. 

Katoman continues talking to the kids at the bar. One of them smiles kindly, seemingly embarrassed by the way Katoman just treated me. I smile back. With my smile I want to say: “it’s ok. He is making up for all the kindness and politeness of this country. I wouldn’t have recognised him either if I would have run into him on the streets. It’s just context.”

And anyway, Katoman was always kind of an opportunist prick. Genshō was the sweet one. These kids are simply more important to him. They are probably a band I’ve never heard of. Or maybe I did and I didn’t recognise them. I once spent a night in Beat Cafe drinking with Blonde Redhead, without realising it was them. I listened a lot to Blonde Redhead, especially at that time. It was only when I asked if they would be in Beat Cafe again soon, that they told me they had just played and would leave the next day. 

The lemon sour is the worst drink I’ve ever had in Japan. It’s lukewarm and sweet. Nothing like a lemon sour. We leave. Katoman manages to smile at me and mumbles goodbye. 

Once outside we are overwhelmed by the amount of young people. Everyone is dressed up. Lots of make-up, manicured hands, shiny combed hair.

“I feel so underdressed”, I say. My hair is exploding from the humidity. I don’t have any makeup on my face (anymore). I’m wearing the clothes I was wearing this whole day. I must smell sweaty. There is a drool spot on my shoulder from Ima. Rice stains on my trousers from her food hands. 

People are lining up for concert venues and nightclubs. I haven’t been in this part of Shibuya for years. I don’t miss it. I was never into going to massive spaces like these. Just Beat Cafe and a few others. 

Tetsuya and I part after the nightlife district. He walks to his house in Yoyogi Koen, and I walk back to Harajuku. It starts to rain a bit. My walk is light. I walked this road so many times, when I was studying and living in Harajuku for a while. I feel weirdly young. Like I went back to that time. Without children. Without Julien. Just lots of friends, and lots of late night drinks.