Japan is Euphoria (Ghosts of Nagasaki Excerpt)

Japan is euphoria. The October night air coalesces into drinking, then carefree drinking, and finally reckless drinking. Soon, I’m a Travolta clone in a late-seventies discotheque. I’m performing my parody of the era. The photos and short movies Scotlandman catches on his phone are indisputable proof that this indeed happened and that I’m the culprit.

And in Japan, the country that it is, my cheesy moves are soon aggrandized and emulated. (Scotlandman has proof of this as well). The girl in front of me is soon complimenting me on my dance moves with a flurry of “jyozu”s. At one point I try to keep count and end up losing my balance, spilling beer all over Jim from Jersey. I can’t remember exactly what happens after this, but I think Jim from Jersey ends up taking a swing at me without knowing it’s me. Then I take a swing at him. And then somehow he’s hugging me and telling me what a great night it is and ordering me another beer.

Now, though, I need to pee. I make my way to the bathroom and run into Masahiro. He walks up to me with a big smile on his face. He slaps me on the back and says “friend” continuously while feeling my muscles. I don’t really know the correct way to handle this, so I just start giving him wet-willies in his ear. This seems like a perfectly harmless response, but I find his smile collapses, and the look of shock in his eyes betrays thoughts of violation. I then smile and say “tomodachi,” which is the Japanese word for “friend.” The smile returns and he gives me a hug, a flurry of “jyozu”s, and a wet-willy in return.


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