Many newly opened bars and stores proudly display their year of establishment on the signage out front -- even if it just opened. Vagabond, a funky jazz izakaya in Shinjuku, is no exception. The signboard outside proudly boasts "Tavern Since 1976." When I arrived in 1981, this made me laugh. But now -- after 26 years of business -- it hangs proudly with the weight of the passing years.
In the '60s, Matsuoka-san escaped the student riots in Tokyo to make love in Paris and not war on the streets of Shinjuku. He dreamed of becoming a painter and modeled his life on the writings of his favorite author, Ernest Hemingway. Not long into his sojourn, he met Hiragake, another young Japanese artist living in Paris. One look at his compatriot's sketchbook made Matsuoka put away his paintbrush.
"I realized his talent was so great that I could never reach his level," says Matsuoka with wistful resignation.