Terry Ito Column Vol.61 Mysterious group of old men encountered on the Joetsu Shinkansen

As you know, LALALA is published once a week, and I've been fortunate enough to have been able to write a serial for many years. However, finding topics for my column once a week can be quite a challenge. While a TV drama series has a scriptwriter who comes up with the story, it's not like that for a column. Nothing dramatic happens every day, and my days are filled with mundane routines. So what do I do? I observe the world in observational mode, searching for material. This habit hasn't changed for a long time, whether I'm walking down the street or in a restaurant. Once, while driving down Aoyama Street, I saw a woman in her 20s pull up next to me at a traffic light in a red Ferrari. I wondered, "What kind of job does she have, even though she's young? Where does she earn her money? It's a mystery." This inspired me to create the late-night TV program "Payroll Slip" (TV Tokyo).

The other day, I went to a cycling center in Gunma Prefecture to film a car race for the TV program "Terry Tsuchiya's Car Story" (MX TV). I arrived at Tokyo Station to catch the early morning Joetsu Shinkansen, and saw a group of about 10 men in their 50s stocking up on beer and snacks at a convenience store on the platform. Glancing at them, I thought, "Are they drinking early in the morning? They might be troublesome," but then I noticed their outfits—the typical bad-boy outfit of tracksuits and flashy sneakers. A sense of unease crossed my mind, as if they were "someone from that line of work." I always choose seats in the middle of the train when riding the Shinkansen. This time, the staff arranged for me to get seat D in row 8 of the Green Car. I was praying for a seat away from them, but... To my surprise, a group of 10 men got on the same train car as me and sat right around me. There were plenty of other seats available, but what was going on? The ticket sellers were probably looking at the seating chart on a computer. However, once I was seated, I didn't have the courage to ask the attendant to change seats, and the train mercilessly started moving, leaving me feeling tense.

The party started just after we passed Ueno Station. Not wanting to be recognized as Terry Ito, I leaned my head against the window and read a book. However, the commotion never got any louder. Everyone was drinking quietly, one by one. I was completely taken aback. It was too quiet. In fact, it seemed like they were being considerate of me. In the silence, I bowed, and they called out with a smile, "Where are you going, Terry?" They had recognized me from the start. When I asked them about it, they told me that they were going to a darts tournament in Niigata the next day, and to my surprise, they were players. They said this was their only chance to relax, and the conversation was so lively that we even took a commemorative photo in the car before getting off.

My people-watching was a complete failure, but they were all really nice people. So, the LALALA manuscript is finished! I wonder who I'll people-watch tomorrow.

Terry Ito (director)

Born in Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1949. After attending Waseda Jitsugyo Junior and Senior High School, he graduated from Nihon University's School of Economics.
In March 2023, he completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University.
He joined the television production company IVS Television, where he worked on variety shows such as "Tensai Takeshi's Genki ga Deru TV" and "Neruton Benikujidan."
He then went independent and worked on planning and directing a number of television programs, including TV Tokyo's "Asakusabashi Young Clothing Store."
His book "Comedy North Korea" became a bestseller, and he subsequently made numerous media appearances under the name Terry Ito.
In addition to his work as a director, he is also active in a variety of fields as a producer, entertainer, and commentator.
YouTube channelTerry Ito's Comedy Backdrop'
Currently writing a column in LALALA USA
https://lalalausa.com/archives/category/column/terry