We had an earthquake around noon today in Tokyo. The Shindo Scale is used to measure the frequency of shaking felt by people at ground level in any given area. This method is used in Japan to measure quakes. The scale goes from one to seven, but today’s quake couldn’t have been more than a one.
Needless to say, I don’t like earthquakes, especially when I am on the tenth floor of the old Columbia building. I was sitting with my coworker Kobayashi-san in a small conference room receiving information about contracts and licensing agreements (I am now in my last division; the Intellectual Property Rights division), when the room started swaying back and forth.
No one on my floor reacted at all; they all chose to keep working diligently as though nothing was happening. “Oh an earthquake,” Kobayashi-san said plainly, “I guess I am used to them now.” I was busy clutching the table with a frightened look on my face. The shaking lasted a good 20 or 30 seconds.
There was actually a very short burst earthquake last Friday that I experienced as well while working an enka event with my Digital Sales coworkers at the Eggman Live House in Shibuya. I was busy affixing labels to informational flyers about Columbia’s mobile phone download site when the entire room lurched forward in a single burst of movement. At least then, my accompanying coworker agreed with me that earthquakes were scary. We had a meaningful 20 second dialogue that involved us repeating the word “scary!” to each other with genuinely forlorn eyes and nods.
The event I attended was a live performance announcing the release of a new single by enka artist Makino Megumi. The inside of the live house was decorated to look like a matsuri (festival), and included a yakisoba stand and sno-cones. I had to wear yukata during the event as well, so as to not clash with the feel of the atmosphere.
People told me that Makino Megumi was over thirty, even though she dressed in ridiculously short shorts and talked with a high-pitched, bubbly school girl voice. Though she wore a kimono during her performance, her music sounded like modern pop as opposed to traditional enka.
She performed a good twelve songs during her show, the highlight of which was the bilingual number “Pineapple Princess.” Makino Megumi pranced about the stage giggling cheerfully as she sang “I’m a pineapple princess – your sweet pineapple princess – Yeah I’m a pineapple princess – so why don’t you eat me?” in heavily accented English to a bouncy tropical beat.
The shock of the evening was a surprise visit by the love of my life – Nomura Mina or Columbia Rose. I hadn’t seen her since we first met, since she repeatedly plays hard to get with regard to my sushi dinner invitations. I was so taken aback to see her suddenly standing in front of me with her hand warmly on my shoulder that I nearly fainted. Unfortunately, since she came right as the show started, the two of us didn’t have any face-to-face time. After the show was over, she had to make her rounds and do the usual singer bit, bowing deeply to everyone, and asking them to buy her album in a super high voice, with big round anime eyes.
Also, her manager (handler) was there with her. I have met the guy several times before so he immediately recognized me (he probably also knows that I’m gunning for his star). He ensured that I couldn’t get too close to Rose to talk with her for any long period of time.
Rose’s handler told me that she would be starting an internet blog, choosing to speak for the singer as though she were a ventriloquist’s dummy. “I’d give you the web address, but you’ll be back in AMERICA at that time won’t you? Can you even see Japanese web pages in America?” he asked me patronizingly in Japanese.
I responded “yep,” with a stare that said if I rammed chopsticks down your windpipe, you’d be out of the picture buddy, and Rose and I could live happily ever after.
Oh well, I guess Romeo & Juliet had it difficult too.
B.E.W.
Next up: Japanese Costco!
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