Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006
There are days I walk out my door in the morning and unsure what I will encounter during my day in Japan. Sometimes it can be to a stolen bike, sometimes a beautiful fall day like today, or sometimes the most strange events can happen. This is one those events.
Last month, a group of westerners from Ashikaga ventured out of our small community to take a day trip to Tokyo for an outdoor music festival in YoYoGi Park in central Tokyo. 9:00 on a Sunday morning we rolled out of bed (a feat after our ritual Sat night socializing and drinking at a local izakaya (Japanese style bar)). Despite the early alarm it was a glorious day. It was a brilliant sun that day and we could see Mt. Fuji clearly from the train platform (this was only the 2nd time I could see it from Ashikaga). Three hours later we finally arrived at our destination and proceeded through a beautiful park filled with trees, flowers, and grass. This may sound odd, but in Tokyo this kind of place is difficult to find! The festival, while already started, was sparsely populated as it was still only around noon and was an all day event. Destined not to come all that way for nothing us foreigners started to venture out of the festival area into the park to see other events that were going on. Sure enough we strolled onto several live bands along the park sidewalk, street vendors selling art, junk sellers, and the Tokyo Rockabilly’s.
At one of the entrances to YoYoGi Park there is a place where 2 sidewalks convene and creates a common area that normally would just be a place for friends to meet or where a street vendor might set up camp. On Sunday’s however it is the performance venue for the Tokyo Rockabilly’s. Walking upon this area we were greeted with a dozen or so middle aged Japanese men all decked out in rockabilly gear with leather jackets, while t-shirts, black pants (some leather), boots, and of course a rockabilly isn’t complete without an extreme greased up pompadour haircut (ie…Elvis)! The men were all gathered around the portable amp they had plugged into a power generator nearby. It was playing 50’s music at half volume. As we approached the area these men were doing nothing in particular. Some were styling their over-the-top hair, some smoking cigarettes in cool fashion, and one was leaning against a lamp post looking particularly nonchalant at the audience that was gathering. Somehow I think he was thinking that we were the ones out of place. Even though nothing was happening the performance had already started and they were playing the part of a 1950’s rockabilly. Whether standing looking cool, parting the hair, or leaning against a lamp post surveying the crowd, these men thought they were the real deal. Too cool for school! We didn’t have to wait long for things to get kicking as the music stopped and a special CD inserted into the CD player. The 50’s music started, was turned up full volume, and these Japanese Rockabilly’s proceeded to form a circle in the space and start dancing! I think the best example for those trying to envision this is to think of an Elvis impersonator, then think of a Japanese Elvis impersonator, then think of a bad Japanese Elvis impersonator and that is close to what we were watching. The coolest part of the whole thing was is that these guys didn’t care! Nothing was barred as we saw the splits, rolls on the ground, jackets in the air, and even running slides on the concrete! They lived for their Sunday’s and their chance to let it go and shine! They struggle through their work week like the rest of us. Some of us look to the weekend for relaxing, going out with friends or spending time with family. But these guys live to be Rockabilly’s! I can only imagine what they tell their wives before leaving the house! - “Going to YoYoGi to hang out with the guys. Be back for dinner!” Wives or not these guys loved what they were doing and didn’t care what others might think about it. After all, they were rockabilly’s.
Yes, one never knows what they will see when they leave the safety and normalcy of their home. This day I was lucky enough to see Elvis, spirit alive in well, in Tokyo.
