"Shall We Meet in Yurakucho (Yurakucho de Aimasho)" was the title of a 1958 megahit number, sung by the king of Japanese blues, Frank Nagai. As Frank described it, Yurakucho was always misty with fog and the collective sighs of hundreds of lovers, the streets were damp with just-fallen rain and lined with graceful willow trees. Distant guitar strumming could be heard from one of the alleys, and the moon overhead was always, always the palest shade of gold.
"By golly, let's meet in Yurakucho!" said millions of Tokyoites rushing downtown, whether they had anyone meeting them or not.
Such was the power of radio and the seductive voice of Frank Nagai. The song had one failing though: It doesn't mention the eating houses located underneath the Yurakucho train tracks, stretching left to Tokyo Station and right to Shimbashi.
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