LEX

I started going to the movie theater by myself around fifth grade. I woke up early and took a bus and train from Kawanishi to Umeda, Osaka. It was quite difficult, because I would have to memorize the screening times and map of the theater’s location from the previous day's newspaper (the evening edition). Those days we didn’t have smartphones or navigation systems. I bought a ticket at the counter, a pamphlet and coffee in a paper cup from the vending machine, and watch the movie. We didn’t have popcorn or any American style concessions back then. When I saw the movie in the morning, I usually watched it in the center of the theater, and I would change seats to a different angle for the second watch showing. I went home without dining out or stopping anywhere. The big city was scary for an elementary school kid. But I really wanted to see the movie in the cinemas. I got used to and was a little bit more relaxed by the time I became a middle school student. I started going to late night showings by myself. And by then, I knew all the locations of the movie theaters. I also knew the locations of bookstores and cafes around too.