#yaki imo

The first time I heard the yaki-imo man, I really had no idea what it was. He didn’t pass my house, so all I could do was listen and try and figure out what the chant/song was saying. I actually thought it was some sort of religious procession coming down the street that first night. But when I heard it again and again and finally started picking up the words, I realized pretty quickly that it was the yaki-imo man.

For a while I really considered chasing him down and buying a yaki-imo. However, as good as they are, I’m shy and I found it awkward enough chasing down the ice cream truck in my own country when I had known the guy for years (there was only one ice cream man in my town). There was no way I was chasing down some guy I didn’t know in a foreign country and language after dark to buy a potato. This is still true a year later. I haven’t been out to buy a yaki-imo from the yaki-imo man. In fact, even though he’s changed his route so that he actually drives past my apartment instead of just further down my street, I haven’t even gone to the window to look at the truck driving past. I’ve figured out what the sound is. I guess I’m just not curious enough.

But tonight I finally saw him!

I was riding my bike home from the movie theater and waiting at a light when I heard the song. And then I saw the truck! I guess I was expecting a food truck of some sort, but it’s just one of those normal, tiny, Japanese pick-up trucks with some lights on the side. It was so unassuming. But the music was twice as loud and obnoxious as I’ve ever heard it and it made me so happy. XD

I kind of wanted to follow him down the street, but unfortunately, he turned off the road I was taking home and I had to say goodbye.