Monday 09/18/06 12:25am

Walking around Akasaka a few times I really found it interesting around 1am when all the hostess get out of work. I wanted to try to capture the change of atmosphere around that time. The first night I started by just sitting on the street outside of a 300 yen bar and taking notes of people walking by and my experiences.

Monday 09/18/06 12:25am
There is nice Japanese music playing, it sounds like it's from the 40's. Most people are wearing suits or very nice dresses. The cars you see around here are fancier than in America. The girls are also very attractive. I notice some young Japanese guys walking by in jeans and t-shirts. A rich looking lady pulls up in a fancy car and asks someone directions. I'm finding the music selections coming from the restaurant really interesting. The taxis are bumper to bumper. There is pachinko across the street that you can faintly hear the sounds from the building. I see some government officials I think because of the gold crests on their jackets. Some young hip looking guys pass by. The taxis are still just waiting in line to pick people up. Lots of drunk salary men are headed home it looks like. I see some girls in kimonos walk by, I'm interested in why some girls choose to wear them? A fruit vendor drives by with fruit on the back of his truck. It almost seems like the milk man from 50's. I'm still amazed by all the smoking. I see some drunk guys holding hands. A guy rides by on a loud motorcycle. After 20 minutes I hear the first American song coming from the restaurant. Things seem very quiet but all of a sudden a flood of cars and people pass with loud breaks squealing. A poorly dressed guy drops off a hostess on his old bicycle, it looks like it's probably her boy friend. Another young looking poorly dressed guy walks down the street holding hands with another very well dressed hostess. I think it would be an interesting documentary about boyfriends of hostess. The dynamics of the relationships of people who drop their girlfriends off every night to flirt with older men for money. How does that affects things? It seems like it would be hard to be allowed to get that close into someone's personal life. Things are picking up and I hear lots of drunk salary men going into the bar being boisterous and enjoying themselves. They order more beer and food. They are followed soon after by hostess who I assume just got off work. It's the first people I've seen go into the bar in the 45 minutes I've been sitting here. The American music hasn't stopped from the bar. All the clubs seem to be letting out. People are coming to get something to eat. Others are finding different venues to continue the party. Lots of people meeting up on their cell phones. People hurrying to catch cabs and headed home I'm guessing. The sounds I hear: Drunk chatter, heels clicking, breaks squealing, car engines, Korean from hostess off of work, Japanese from drunk salary men being too loud, yelling on Kaitais and Elvis from the bar.