Stories 3          

                          Stories 3

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         Armed Forces Service Club in Kyoto

Library, Soda Fountain, Pool Room, Ping  Pong....Guests allowed....Just couldn't get much better. Many Japanese women learned how to play pool here as guests.

Guys on R & R had a great time and met

friends from other service groups. It was also a great place to get info on what to

see in Kyoto and surrounding areas. Call

for a taxi and one would get a wood

burning cab with maybe a driver who could say hi.

One might haul out the Gov't issue of American to Japanese manual and try to make the driver understand where one wanted to go. If One learned how to pronounce the name of a destination at the Service club, it helped greatly to get where one wanted to go. The sometimes process at the club was to engage a Japanese woman, working at the soda fountain, in conversation and act dumb on one's

knowledge of Japanese. The gals spoke very good English.

           Tram Station at Fushimi Momoyama

Once getting on to the usually crowded tram, a professional "pusher" made sure people were packed in so the door could safely close. During the day it was standing room only. At night there were usually some seats available.

Tram story continued

Once on the tram, the aromas were memorable. Often, Japanese guys going to work had a good bit of sake and beer (Beeroo) breath. Yakdorf, remember him?, got jammed next to a standing mamasahn who was sampling pieces of a dried seaweed roll up that she had. The roll up was about 3 feet tall  and  looked like black, formerly crumpled paper.

Yakdorf prepared to get off the tram in Kyoto, knowing that he would be mobbed, like all the other GIs, by pimps working the entrance gates. One of them said loudly, "You come with me GI, have nice young sistah." Another yelled out, Hey GI, you come with me, very cheap and good woman, she do everything." They all had their repetitive lines. Once in awhile they would grab an arm and try to be a best friend.

We did mention leisure. The two photos above were taken at Lake Biwa. It was a popular weekend time provided by Special Services. Besides boozing, sailing was available and swimming was great. That is until one saw cattle being washed off in the lake just 100 yards down the beach. There was a launch available for charter. It went to various points of interest around the lake.  People often picked up infections from the water.