Fortune teller, Kazuko Hosoki, is the model for the Netflix drama, "You're Going to Hell.
You are going to hell! Many people know that before she became a fortune teller, she was a "Ginza mom" who ran a club in Ginza.
A woman who opened a club in Ginza at the age of 20 and had more than 100 hostesses in three stores at her peak, later shook up the whole of Japan with her fortune telling. After watching a drama with that kind of background, I had no reason not to go when I saw a fortune teller known as the "Mother of Ginza.
Mother of Ginza - Yoshie Yokota, 50 years of appraisal experience
Known as the "Mother of Ginza," Yoshie Yokota is a veteran fortune teller who has been practicing in Ginza since the Showa period. With a career spanning more than 50 years, Yokota has provided consultations to numerous celebrities. She has appeared on TV, in magazines, and in other media, and her presence in Ginza is exceptional.
Upon entering the restaurant, one finds that the walls are covered with photographs. The faces of famous people who rubbed shoulders with Yokota were lined up in a row. Entertainers, executives, politicians. The wall silently told the story of how all kinds of people, regardless of genre or generation, have sat here. No need to speak of achievements in words. One look at the wall tells it all.
The appraisal fee is 5,000 yen for 30 minutes. Many customers visit without an appointment, and considering the location and background of Ginza, the price is rather reasonable.
Appraisal begins, and the mother of Ginza drinks at the pace of her mother.
Hachimine visited the restaurant accompanied by a Ginza hostess, and Hachimine was appraised first.
Yoshie Yokota is not in a hurry. Her movements are slow, and there is a pause before she begins to speak. The flow of time for someone who has lived in Ginza since the Showa period seemed to move on a different axis than the speed we experienced. Occasionally, they would interject something from the past and say something in a mumbling voice. There were a few words that I did not catch, thinking, "What was that?
Still, the important part was delivered.
You're just as angry as Hamakoh."
Hamakoh is a politician once known by the nickname "Koichi Hamada. The name of a man who was famous for his angry character came out of nowhere. Hachimine said nothing.
Then came "Watch out for your liver and cavities," "You're bored," "You're the type to change women around," and "You'll never have trouble eating," the words came out at a brisk pace. All of them were hard to deny.
And then, "Your sex life is perverted," he said.
As expected, something was bothering him, and Hachimine was about to ask something. Yoshie Yokota quickly said.
Just answer the questions they ask you."
There was no room for questions.
Hostess's turn, chasing after Hachimine.
The hostess was then appraised. Yoshie Yokota looked at the hand for a moment, then quietly said, "You have good luck at work" and "You will have no trouble with money. The hostess accepted with a smile and said, "Thank you.
Hearing this next to him, Hachimine was glad his turn was over.
Yoshie Yokota turned to Hachimine.
Be careful of the hostesses in Ginza.
Without thinking, Hachimine asked back.
"What does ...... mean?"
We'll see."
There was no further explanation. A giggling voice added something, but I didn't hear it. There was no air of listening back. The hostess next to me said nothing, but her mouth was moving a little. I couldn't tell whether she was laughing or about to say something.
After the fortune-telling, go to the accompaniment
After the appraisal, I headed straight to the club where the hostess worked. Although it was in the guise of accompanying me, I thought it was an unusual preamble to say, "After the night I got mad at my mother in Ginza. As we sat down and accepted our glasses, I told the hostess that I had been told I was with Hamakoh, and she continued to laugh for a while.
Summary
To be honest, not much of the 30-minute consultation could be called divination. Small talk was interspersed, old stories were told, and before I knew it, time had passed. I tried to cut it short, but it never ended. Even when Hachimine gave the air that it was time to go to ......, Yoshie Yokota's pace did not change.
In the end, we didn't finish on time; it didn't fit into the 30 minutes, but I honestly didn't feel much like I had "had my ¥5,000 worth of readings."
But I don't think that's what I'm complaining about. That picture on the wall, that tempo, that "just answer what they ask".
If you consider that it cost 5,000 yen for 30 minutes, including the fact that it did not end on time, it is an entertaining experience. I think it is suitable for those who can separate that it is not a place to go to seek answers from fortune-telling, but a place to go to experience that space.
