Terry Ito's Column Vol. 76: I went to Shimoda by helicopter

Running the YouTube channel "Owarai Backdrop" has led to some fun encounters. The other day, through a car dealership in Yokohama called "Favoroso," I met someone who runs a large business in Shimoda, Izu. They invited me to visit Shimoda sometime. I was happy to hear that, but Shimoda is a four-hour drive from Tokyo, making it an eight-hour round trip. I hesitated to accept, thinking it was a bit far, when they replied, "We'll arrange a helicopter. It can get here in 30 minutes." I was surprised! "Where will the helicopter come from?" "We'll pick you up at the helipad in Yokohama Minato Mirai." I was surprised again. I didn't even know there was a helipad in Minato Mirai.

As promised, the helicopter appeared from the eastern sky that day! The black aircraft looked really cool. However, the truth is, both Ikura-chan and I have an extreme fear of heights! Even though we both love cars so much. We timidly asked the pilot a barrage of questions: "Um, this helicopter won't crash, right?", "I'm not hungover from drinking too much yesterday, am I?", "Does it have a parachute?". The veteran pilot calmly replied, "This helicopter has two engines, so don't worry. However, it's windy today, so it will be bumpy." This gave me a very bad feeling... Anyway, we took off. The aircraft shook in the strong wind, and we all screamed, but we somehow managed to land safely near Shimoda Port. We were terrified and frightened in the air, but as soon as we stood on the ground, we recovered our spirits.

What happened next was even more amazing. The welcome was extraordinary. I was taken to "Kobe Steak Hana," a floating restaurant owned by the chef himself, located in Shimoda Port, and served special dishes not usually on the menu. It started with an appetizer I'd never seen before, made by a chef who used to work at a high-end Italian restaurant. Fresh oysters from Hokkaido, despite the season. A whole flock of live spiny lobsters appeared, something I hadn't seen in 20 years and had even forgotten existed. I made eye contact with one of the lobsters for an awkward moment. Of course, I enjoyed eating them after they were sautéed. The main event was, of course, Kobe beef. As promised, the meat looked radiant when they showed it to me before cooking. I hesitantly asked the price of the Kobe beef, and the answer was "3 yen." I felt ashamed of my own small-mindedness, as I'm usually perfectly happy with the 2,000 yen Australian beef that's on sale after 18 PM at Seiyu supermarkets.

After finishing my meal... I was extremely satisfied, even though I probably won't have such a luxurious lunch again. Kobe Steak Hana also offers casual lunches for 2,000 to 3,000 yen. Next door is a casual Italian restaurant that evokes the feeling of a 1960s American diner. The leisurely time spent gazing at the sparkling sea of ​​Shimoda made me forget about time. As someone with a sweet tooth, I was happy that the cakes were also delicious. I would like to visit again in the season when Christmas songs are in the air.

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