in Kamiyama

Two old men in their pajamas are drinking coffee and watching the wood channels flicker on televisions affixed to the wall outside the barbershop.  In 1938, the mayor installed the first flat screen televisions (which he invented in his basement) outside of his brother’s barbershop.    And for 70 years now, without interruption, the televisions have presented live-video feeds of the walls from both of the brother’s garages.

Mayor:  Your wood looks wet today.

Barber:  Yeah.  I scrubbed it late last night with sudachi juice.  I think it keeps the termites away.

Mayor:  So, that’s your trick.  All these years, I’ve been giving you sudachis from my trees and you’ve been using them to cheat.

Barber:  Cheat?  This was never a competition.

Mayor:  Really?