Japan: The Love-Letter Shop

Darling Earl,

Your letter today gave me a terrific thrill. My darling, I love you so much. Every night when I go to bed, my thought goes back to that last night when we were together. I close my eyes and imagine you. I love you.

Akiko

Dear Akiko,

Your last letter really turned me on, baby. I can’t forget either how great that last night together was—that wild stereo and the warm sake and the moon outside lighting our pad and best of all you you you. Everything here in Danang is okay but I still don’t know when I can get back to Tokyo. By the way my pal Sam is taking R&R in Tokyo next week so if he calls help him find a nice girl. All my love,

Earl

Dear Sam,

I just got this weird letter from Akiko in Tokyo. I mean it sounds great but she can hardly speak English. So please find out if she’s got another guy on the hook and if so … Have a ball,

Earl

Dear Earl,

You’ll never believe it but I looked up your doll Akiko—man is she terrific. She finally admitted (next morning, haha) that she hasn’t got another boyfriend. Those wild letters are turned out by a fantastic guy named Tokuji Sugaya in a love-letter shop in swinging old Shibuya who lets these gorgeous chicks talk for a while and then he sits down and writes notes to about ten or 20 G.I.s a day. He charges 300 yen a letter, and the clients are just the best I’ve ever seen.

And get THIS. This old guy is a former colonel in Japanese military intelligence who was one of their real pros in World War II. Operated in Moscow and in Bangkok too. He’s been writing these letters for 20 years, and tells me that at least 200 of his chicks are now hitched to Americans and living in the States. He even writes letters to the mothers of these guys, and he tells me that’s what really scores big. Weird deal, huh? Best,

Sam

Dear Akiko,

I love you too honey, I really do. I don’t quite know how to put this but maybe we shouldn’t write for awhile. For one thing my mother wrote me and said you’d written her this note and that she thought you sounded great but she was a little upset because Mary Sue this girl I knew in a way back home, seems to think I’m going to marry her.

And what’s even worse is that the counterintelligence spooks here in Danang say they have to read all my letters now because they’ve heard I’m in contact with a guy who used to be a Japanese spy — like two wars ago! So lots of love for now but like I said maybe we better not write for awhile. A big kiss from your

Earl