---

Sending the Kimono Girls for the Good Stuff

The following is an excerpt (used with permission) of an e-mail sent to me by a friend who moved to Hawaii last year and met a Japanese woman who he fell in love with (those of you who know me personally know exactly who I'm talking about). The following tells the story of a dinner during his recent trip to Japan to ask her parents for permission to marry her. It is presented in uncensored fashion, so beware that the H-word is used several times.

A letter from Japan:

I am now qualified to write a book titled "Get a Japanese man drunk, and he'll give you his daughter" or alternatively, for the Japanese version "130 pound Japanese men should not try to outdrink 265 pound white-boys"

Its about 4pm Sunday afternoon in Japan (11pm Saturday night PST). I have just returned from what was perhaps the most prestigious hot springs hotel in the world. According to Yoko, the charges ran about $1000 for one night for four people after all the dust cleared (and the dang place didn't even have beds!). And as they didn't take American express, Yoko's parents picked up the tab.


The hot springs/spa facility was first class all the way. But what was most impressive was the 3 hour long multi course dinner which was served directly to our room by kimono clad waitresses.


During this dinner, Yoko's father started drinking Sake, and insisted that Yoko keep my glass full of it as well, which was quite comical. At first, he tried to take it easy, just sipping. But soon, he was dispatching the kimono girls downstairs for the good stuff. This was my first sake experience, and it actually tastes pretty good. I would estimate its alcohol content to be roughly equivalent to that of wine. I will get to the point, but please appreciate that this was a 3 hour long experience. After about two hours of the old man singing old japanese songs, pounding sake, and my cracking wise, he proposed a toast, and asked that Yoko and her mother take part.


During this toast, which lasted maybe two minutes, he announced that he thought of me as his own son, wished that the relationship between yoko and I last forever and that it bear many children!!! (In other words, he likes me.)


Yoko and her mother both started crying, the old man poured himself another round of the good stuff, and I kind of sat there thinking, "What the hell just happened?"


Why was I wondering what the hell was going on? Because I had to wait for the sobbing to stop before I could get the translation. For all I knew, the old man had just announced that he was going to send me home to Hawaii as a Eunuch.


After I grasped what had happened, I busted out my best "Domo-Arigato Gozai-Masu" and shook his hand.


Soon thereafter, the old man passed out, and there has been no mention of the speech so far today, but as tonight is our last night in Kofu, we are going to put the official questioning to him tonight at dinner, just to make sure he meant it.