It’s kind of an odd subject to throw in the middle of the discussion of education issues, but anyway, I went to this Yamamoto Mimikakiten (the ear-cleaning place) that I introduced you several days ago (see Oct.18 http://jmode.blogspot.com/2006/10/extreme-of-healing.html for refrence), so I thought I’d give you a short report before I forget.
After writing about it I was talking about it with some of my colleagues in a really casual joking manner, and as we talked, we decided to go have an “experience” there.
Honestly, I was rather reluctant on the idea but at the same time I could not completely resist the temptation of beautiful women dressed in kimono cleaning my ears on their laps. So I convinced myself that it might be worth an article that I can write on Japan Mode and went along with my friends.
The shop could be found on a narrow alley located shoulder to shoulder with a dry cleaner... or in fact, believe it or not, the ear cleaner was part of the dry cleaner. The jolly merry middle-aged guy took care of the customers for dry cleaning and ear cleaning whenever people came to either of the counters. It was the most peculiar double-crop business I have ever seen.
There were only three rooms inside and because we were a group of three, even though all of us weren’t all attended at the same time we technically had the entire shop to ourselves.
As we entered the shop, we were each guided into a small room along a narrow path, one divided from another by blinds. Before long, a woman dressed in kimono came in and gave me instructions to follow, which was only to lie down with my head rested on her lap and relax. First of all, she gave me a massage on the “points” around my ears. This was one of the best moments of life in my past few weeks. Then she started cleaning my ears, but because my face was lightly covered with a sheet of cloth, I’m not sure how “dirty” my ears were.
When both my ears were done, I was given the best massage on my shoulders, head and face in years. It was so relaxing that I fell half asleep, only to be waken by her sneeze which I could only describe as all calculated. Last but not least, she gave me a massage on my hands.
Hmm, it was really nice. It wasn’t anything... dubious like I had imagined in the corner of my mind. I have never been to a professional massage or chiropractic so I can’t exactly compare and I bet the professional massagers can give me even better massages, but the experience of just having mature beautiful women giving you a relaxing massage itself is incomparable “healing”, I thought.
Of course, it would be as comforting for women as men to have the experience. Or perhaps, part of the healing is the fact that you can spend some time in a room with atmosphere of Meiji in Taisho, since there aren’t many occasions nowadays to have people in kimono attend you for a while. I would call it a new hidden spot for those who’re into Japan and healing regardless the gender.
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