3.3 Around Yokohama in Eighty Minutes.
I had a most pleasant day, today, travelling around Yokohama's river network, by private pleasure boat, with friends.
The network of Rivers, joined together in the days of the Shoguns takes us into the mouth of the Oka River, beneath the skyscrapers of Minato Mirai, and inland for a couple of miles. Earlier in the spring the Oka river is lined with thousands of pink cherry blossom trees. Now though, as the heat of summer is bearing down, I prefer the Nakamura river, which spurs eastwards from the Oka, and spits us out into Tokyo Bay. Along the Nakamura and Hori rivers, willows spill down towards the water, and provide a refreshing scene. We enjoyed the circuit so much, we had a tea break, and did it again!
Of course any trip can be maked or breaked by the company you travel with. In today's case, I couldn't have asked for a cooler bunch of people, to spend a day on the river with. Natalie, the new manageress at the Rock of Gibraltar invited me along, and she's loving getting to know the city, in such a relaxed, and refreshing way. Taka, a Japanese Canadian karate instructor, used to be a Mountie, in Alberta, and there's never any shortage of great stories, from him.
Another one of my fellow travellers was Kikuchi san, a gay, middle aged man, who manages one of Yuji's bars, and in fact gets behind the turntables at the Rock4four events, from time to time.
Kikuchi san is a veritable history book, when it comes to club culture, having lived in New York, for ten years, from the late 70's:
"I went to, or worked the bar, at all the top spots, Studio 54, Paradise Garage, Danceteria, Zanzibar. Served drinks to Madonna once. Total highlight. I loved those years."
"How does Rock4four rate?"
" Oh, don't! PLEEEEASE!!!" He screams, wafting me away. "No, 4/4's good, but the reason I DJ sometimes is because I mentioned to Yuji that DJ's like Tony Humphries often played rock tracks, in Zanzibar, so I was offered a chance to DJ. Technically though, I can't cut it, but Miki (Ohara) chan was really interested in playing that kind of stuff. She's a wizard on the turntables, so I like to get in there with her sometimes, and suggest tracks."
"Like?"
"Oh you know, the Police, Blondie, the Clash. I even..."
His phone rings. It's Yuji. A long conversation ensues, so I chat with my friends, and we enjoy watching the sunset, over the Nakamura river and Oka river basins, as the boat once again heads into Tokyo Bay.
Mr Kikuchi hangs up. "We've got a problem. Yuji says the Kamakura Rock bar has been trashed. He needs me back at the Yokohama Rock bar."
"Shit! Mind if I tag along?" I ask.
Kikuchi san nods, solemly. I'm not sure if he means yes, or no.
A lovely day ends, abruptly, and emphatically, and the boat follows the coastline north back to Yokohama Bay.
FEATURED TRACKS:
Blondie - Heart of Glass
The Clash - Rock the Casbah
The Police - De Do Do Do De Da Da Da
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