Hugging is also innocent, and not gay

The party is only getting started.

Male friendship at the dawn of adulthood

Here’s looking at you, babe! Has a photographer ever found more willing subjects?

OK, ladies! Adjust your headpieces, and look sharp!

Admittedly, I am more focused on the male side of this celebration. But even I was moved to see one friend helping another with her big hair and accessories. Now that we’re tucked and presentable, get ready to review the various cliques among the 20 year old celebrants.

Who coordinated outfits and pony-tail scrunchies?

Hillary Clinton looks more presidential every day. I love how she’s completely matchy-matchy with Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi. Matching dresses and scrunchies screams global friendship!

Tatsu Yoshi, Japanese pro-wrestler

Great story about Tatsu Yoshi in the Japan Times: the only Japanese guy in US-based pro-wrestling league. He’s a rare foreigner playing a “good guy” rather than a villain.

I love his enthusiasm and belief that his melodramatic storylines will contribute to US-Japanese friendship. I can imagine other ways for him to accomplish that goal. ^^Ah, well, I imagine he’s inspiring many horny boys with new dreams without taking off his spandex shorts.

The pro-wrestlers will be performing at Tokyo’s (sacred) sumo wrestling hall Kokugikan on August 20 and 21.

“Skinship”

Japan is full of katakana English that has no real meaning in English. Like “service,” which refers to a small business giving the customer a freebie, often spontaneously as a reward for being a loyal customer. Sitting in Shinjuku Gyoen, enjoying hanami with several friends, I learned a new slang, “skinship.” That refers to building friendship through touching. Since touching is somewhat rare in public, borrowing from English is considered somehow appropriate. I explained to my friend the difference between “touching” and “groping.”

日本とアメリカの友情

日本とアメリカの友情
最近、日本とアメリカの友情に関する本を二冊読みました。両方とも、若いアメリカ人が東京に占領下の時に来ました。「Donald Richie』は有名な映画の評論家になります。『Japan Journals 1947-2004」では、リッチーは彼の売春婦や女装趣味の人や季節労働者や移民の友達との関係をはなします。今まだ書いています。

もうひとつの本では、アメリカ人のヤクザが六本木で成功する話です。仕事はピザとプロレスと不動産です。死ぬ前に、『自分の国を去る人は『asshole』だ』と言った。Whiting, Robert、『 Tokyo Underworld: The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan』 （1999）。

Japanese-American Friendship
Recently, I read two book about Japanese-American friendship. In both stories, young Americans arrive in Tokyo during the Occupation.　Donald Richie becomes a famous film critic. In Japan Journals 1947-2004, he’s also seen to be a friend of street walkers, transvestites, migrant workers and immigrants. He is still writing now.

In the other book, an American gangster becomes King of Roppongi. His business includes pizza, pro-wrestling and real estate. In his old age, he said that a person who leaves his country is “an asshole.” Whiting, Robert. 1999. Tokyo Underworld: The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan.

Shimoda trip: U.S.-Japanese friendship

Yoko, Shu and I went on an overnight trip to Shimoda in the Izu peninsula about 2.5 hours south of Tokyo. After passing Yokohama, it’s amazing how semi-tropical and rural it becomes. We stayed at an onsen hotel with single-sex bathing, a view of a secluded beach with サーファー　(saafaa, or surfers), ate too much food in our room, and explored historic Shimoda.

Shimoda has some interesting historic buildings, and many tributes to U.S.-Japanese “friendship.” It’s an odd tale of friendship involving forced trade, military ships and a discarded concubine who becomes an alcoholic and suicide in “sacrifice for her nation.” We celebrated in our own ways.

And we hiked up one of the hills:

Mourning death of panda

Japanese family prays outside the cage of Ling Ling, Japan’s oldest panda who died Wednesday in Ueno. He was a rare symbol of Japanese-Chinese friendship. RIP, old daddy panda!
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