_valerian

This afternoon I met my friends Aki and Aya in Yushima. CLASSY. Both of them, and the locale. Not so much me though.

After lunch we headed towards Nezu and then into Yanaka. Just up the street from Sendagi station the three of us popped into a jazz cafe for coffee, and as soon as we sat down an older man at the bar (behind the bar was a much older man) looked over at us. Instantly I recognized the look in his eyes- the look of Wanting To Talk; I’ve faced it many a time from drunk older men but he was sober. The kind of thing where a stranger who wants to enter a conversation does so by obviously watching a conversation and metering the flow, waiting for the right moment. Which soon came after Aki asked to see my Leica.
We talked about cameras, he said he likes old cameras and that he has some old cameras. He was wired a little differently- the kind of older guy who just likes to talk to anyone.
After that he paid for his drink and left.
A few minutes into conversation with my friends Aki said something and I turned to my left to find a well worn camera case near my head. Looked up and the same old guy stood in the doorway of the cafe.
“Here- this is for you.”
What?
“Just take it- I like guys who like old cameras”
What’s your name?
“Bah- dosen’t matter- See you tomorrow”
Shook hands, thanked him and he was gone. And I was left with a useable Olympus Trip 35. All I need to do is replace the felt near the back door hinge and it looks good to go. This is the first time in roughly 2,190 days (counting from my first semester of photo in college 2001) of having a camera on me in public that someone else has given me another camera after seeing the one around my neck. I ought to start pinning a 10,000 yen note to my collar now.
I plan on taking a good print to the cafe to give to that man as a thank you.

It should also be noted that this camera was probably kept near a butsudan altar in the man’s house as it smells rich of the wonderful, sickly sweet scent of temple insence.