There is definitely something special about drinking beer outside in summer. But I had no idea beer gardens had improved so much. My dated image of a beer garden menu is the classic overly-crisp edamame soybeans, deep-fried meat and vegetables on skewers, and fried chicken with chunky French fries that comes with those jagged green plastic divider things. And the background music is always Hawaiian, with Budweiser girls carrying jugs of beer. So I really seem to be behind the times. But if that sort of beer garden is still around, I somehow feel like tracking one down. Japanese summers; Showa-era summers.
All the memories I have of beer gardens are associated with torrential rain. Like when it starts to rain halfway through so you all race for cover, and end up drinking all over again at some other place indoors. Actually when you consider the climate of this country, al fresco eating and drinking is rather difficult. And then there’s the tendency to label people as the “ame otoko” or the “ame onna”, the man or woman who always jinxes the weather.
Incidentally, since climate is something that doesn’t change for centuries, the concept of “ame onna” female rain-bringers has been around in Japan since ancient times. There is a depiction of an “ame onna” folkloric apparition (“yokai”) in Konjaku Hyakki Shui by Toriyama Sekien. But the “ame onna” in this picture is licking her hand. Rather like a cat. Cats as you know start washing their faces and licking their paws when rain is on the way. During our last exchange Rio-san, you said you had a cat as well. When it rains, my cat stares out of the window the whole time. Does your cat like rain?
Well, Japanese life is so tied to extreme weather changes that we have rain-related “yokai”. Nevertheless it’s a good thing that there are more and more places to enjoy eating and drinking outside. This summer, the place where I’ve gone to drink beer on several occasions is an outdoor-style food court tucked away behind Aoyama Street in Omotesando. You can choose beers from Thailand, Germany etc. to go with the different cuisines. You can drop by on your own quite comfortably, which is why I go. And if it does rain, there’s a tent.
I remember now there’s an old-school beer garden near my house. It’s a hotel near Tokyo Dome which is classic right down to its name, and its beer garden still has Bud girls. When I decided to go out for the first time in ages, I discovered that this is the last summer they are doing the beer garden. So we’ve got to go this summer while we still can.
It already feels like the end of summer, but the season for enjoying mulled wine al fresco is fast approaching. This winter if we get the chance, let’s have some mulled wine together.