opinios

Fiery Relationships

Our next door neighbours are quite something.

Usually they are quiet enough and keep to themselves. Everyone in our apartment block does. It's a Tokyo big-city thing that people generally mind their own business. I've bumped into them once or twice, as I was leaving the apartment or arriving home, and had a bit of a chat. They are a young couple like us; he is quite giggly and chatty, she is rather quiet and shy. But they are both nice enough.

Until they get on the piss. Then they make a racket.

Now, we have had our fair share of parties. I'm sure that the company we keep (you know who you are) are pretty boisterous when plied with a few Kirin Lagers. But generally we try to make sure the shenanigans don't go past midnight (the "last train" generally takes care of that) or we move the party to the local karaoke bar.

Last night our neighbours were being a bit raucous and were obviously knocking back some beers. Good for them.

But around 10:30 the argument started. They started screaming at each other. Through our thin walls we heard an uninterrupted stream of shouting, banging of doors and throwing of things across the room (it sounded like a plate or two got broken). They were really loud.

I've heard these two go at it before. Hell, all couples have the occasional barney. But when these two get some booze in them it seems that they unleash all the furious anger held in by the conservative polite Japanese facade. And it's not like they get it out of their system and then kiss-and-make-up - they make it an all-night affair and scream at each other until their voice boxes run out.

I got a bit worried because a couple of times I heard the girl say itai yo, yamete! (It hurts, stop it!) and I couldn't work out whether he was beating her or whether they were just partaking in a bit of drunken rough sex. Anyway, at 1am when it still hadn't let up I banged on the wall a few times.

That shut 'em up.

This morning I heard them walk past our front door. They were giggling and genki as if nothing had ever happened.

Just like last time.