I’m too used to waiting.

It began (as I recall) with a boyfriend in 1986 who was always running late. I learned to bring a book. I started watching people.

15 years later in Tokyo, I still find myself waiting. Yesterday it was an hour’s wait for an out-of-town visitor I had promised to meet at 2. I arrived a little early and watch the tides of people washing out of trains and through the wickets. Businessmen, well-heeled housewives, and a curious phenomenon.

Teenaged girls in groups of two or more came and went from the station wearing the same t-shirt. “629” (the date?) was emblazoned on the front, along with “Big Egg Show performer” in orange script. Some of them wore yellow and black polka dotted hats—four of them had enormous, egg shaped headpieces made of yellow and black spotted fur. It was mysterious, but later I found out there was a J-Pop band called Yuzu playing at Tokyo Dome (aka “Big Egg”)

At 2:55, I tired of watching and waiting and headed back to my office to work. During an evening phone call, I found out that my guest arrived at the station at 3:00, having gotten lost in the neighborhood of her ryokan.

Maybe I should have waited a little longer… Posted by kuri at June 30, 2001 08:44 AM