Several friends had recommended Tana-san for massage. "He's a little strange, but he's very good," one friend said. He sure sounded strange — Mr. Shelf?
She gave me his card, which said "Healing House Raku" on the top. "Body Therapist. Gentle Alignment! Feel the precision release of stored bodily tensions!"
He had that Japanese passion for using exclamation marks in English, which gives everything a supernatural, dreamlike quality. I could see the tension running out of my body as if retreating from battle, mounted on horses and carrying spears.