the lantern men
After Justin called me tonight, I took the LoTR: Two Tower's Extended Edition back to the video store. Fan-frikkin-tastic movie, if you ask me. I cried pretty much straight through it, which is something I can't say about the original theatrical release. I'm not pregnant so I must just be incredibly emotionally sensitive right now. Even TV commercials get me all worked up. Must be my regular Winter "thing."

Waiting at the bus stop, I saw a man walking with a plastic lantern shaped in the traditional Japanese paper-lantern style. In his other hand, he held an unlit industrial flashlight. As he came closer, I saw he wasn't alone but accompanied by another man carrying two long, rectangular sticks; the kind used to create sound effects in Japanese theatre. Every few seconds, as they walked, the stick man would hit them together. Other than that, they said nothing except to converse softly on occasion. When they passed, I saw that they both wore green arm bands with lettering and the lantern had a similar banner.

I thought this strange but not nearly as strange as when I got off the bus two stops down the same street and passed another pair in the same getup. But this time the lantern man had a megaphone instead of a flashlight. (He wasn't using it)

I can still hear them walking back and forth through the neighborhood, the beating of the sticks making a soft but sharp noise in the night.

Is it some sort of neighborhood watch? If so, why tonight? Why, in fact, at all in such a reputably safe area (-- eek! a predator on the loose? --)? Is it some sort of festive patrol? Why on Christmas of all days, when it holds so little meaning to the Japanese?

For all its crushing weight, Tokyo never ceases to amaze and confuse me. Go figure.