Back in Tokyo
It felt good to be back. Every time we’ve got off a plane and stepped into Narita airport I get a slight chill of excitement running down my spine. This was now the third time we had immigrated into Japan, and would be our third tourist visa since our arrival. It was interesting, coming from Bangkok was the only time we had any problems at customs. Immigration didn’t seem to notice or care we had been coming in and out of the country for four months, but the customs guys took notice of us. Perhaps it was Melissa’s fat hemp necklace or my new dreads and baggy Thai fisher pants, or maybe the fact we were in Thailand for 2 weeks (probably all of the above). Whatever it was the young Japanese Customs agents took it upon themselves to thoroughly make sure we were legit. He started by questioning our trip, and then our return to Japan. He asked if he could search our bags, and went through them semi-thoroughly. Another Customs agent came and made me sit down and take off my Birks. They had a hole in the bottom, and they thought that was very funny. The guys were actually very nice, it wasn’t threatening at all. I think they just wanted a chance to do their job. We couldn’t help but giggle a bit though as he showed us pictures of every drug under the sun and asked us in broken English if we had each. “Do you havu ekustasee? Do you havu Hauwin?”
We happened to be in town just in time to make it to the 2007 Tokyo Pride Parade. A big group of Chris’s friends were going, and we joined. There were about a dozen JETs (teachers) that we met up with at, the insanity packed, Yoyogi Park. We just sort of stood around and talked while enjoying the show. Cross dressers, dykes, cowboys, and dominatrixs (dominatricies?) had really come out of the woodwork.
It was insane. So many gay people and gay rights supporters form all over the world. One of the people in our group seemed to know what was going on so before we knew it we had a ribbon on and were in a special line. Turns out we were in the parade. Upon commencement we all began to march. It was so much fun. Here we were in our regular street clothes walking along the packed streets of Tokyo among amped up homosexuals in costumes professing their sexuality at the top of their lungs. Most people cheered us on, some just stared, and some covered the eyes of their children (not all paraders were fully dressed). It was great and we never stopped laughing. Eventually we dipped out of the parade so we could watch the rest. It was a riot! I’m glad we got to be part of the celebration.
It felt so great to be back in Tokyo. There something about this city you just can’t put your finger on. The buildings that seems more like artwork, the signs that make you feel like your in a video game, the music that’s always coming from somewhere, and the streets that really just seem like big sidewalks, all add to a surreal feeling engulfing everyone walking the streets. I can’t help but smile. It’s a very positive place, or at least that’s the feeling I always get. Sure lots of people are in a hurry, but there not so pissed off about it. Tokyo reminds of one of those places you can only get to by a bit of magic. In a way it’s a bit like Wonka’s chocolate factory, or the munchkin city of Oz, or the North Pole. Every time I get off a train a step outside the station I walk into a world completely on its own. I love it.
Tags: gay, Japan, tokyo, Travel
Zach
Leave a Reply