* Disclaimer: All characters are of legal age of 18 and over*



The premise



Elizabeth pulled back the curtain and looked out of the hotel window. Outside, the busy life of Tokyo flickered with the multitude of night lights. She turned back and looked at her son, Adam, who was laying in bed and watching television.



"What do you want to do tomorrow?" she asked him.



Adam shrugged without looking at her.



"We've already visited everything on our list -- Osaka, Kyoto, and now Tokyo," listed out Elizabeth. She crossed the room and sat down on a low stool. "Tea gardens, zen temples, museums, restaurants. It has been a busy two weeks."



Adam nodded his agreement, his eyes glued to the television set.



"Two weeks and we still haven't seen anything weird," concluded Elizabeth.



Adam turned his head. "Are you still on that page?"



"Yes! I want to see the weird side of Japan that I've heard so much about."



Adam rolled his eyes. "We've already been to several porn stores. And, you dragged me to that sex cartoon theater."



"That's not what I'm talking about."



"Well, it was pretty weird," mumbled Adam under his breath. Louder, he said: "What do you want to see? Tentacle porn? Or those shows where they eat poop and other nasty things?"



Elizabeth did not reply.



"I bet it's all just rumors," said Adam flipping the channel with the remote. "Something people made up about Japan."



"What about those videos on the internet?"



Adam shrugged.



Elizabeth sighed and wistfully looked towards the window. "The old man at the hentai theater said something about a place in Takasaki. What did he call it?" Elizabeth's forehead wrinkled as she tried to remember.



"Kinshinsokan Monogatari," said Adam at length.



"That's right! What does it mean?"



Adam shrugged again.



"He said it was the kind of place we've been looking for."



"I'm not really looking for anything, mom."



"Don't be such a downer!" growled Elizabeth. "You wanted to come to Japan for your big birthday. It wasn't cheap, you know. Who knows if we'll ever come to Japan again. If we're here already, we might as well see everything we can. Right?"



"I guess," replied Adam.



Elizabeth smiled. "I'll get us tickets to Takasaki in the morning. It's only about an hour and a half away."



The search



"Did you see how she looked at me?" Elizabeth asked Adam as they walked out of a magazine shop.



"Mom, I don't think it's a good idea to be asking random people about this place."



"Who else would I ask? The concierge at the hotel wasn't any help, and I didn't find anything about it on the internet."



"Maybe the old man lied. Maybe this place doesn't exist."



"No, it's here. I know it. Why else would she look at me like that?"



"Maybe we should ask someone more appropriate?"



"Like who?"



"Like someone in there." Adam pointed towards a store decorated with posters of scantily clad schoolgirls.



By now, Elizabeth and Adam have been to several adult themed stores in Japan; not to mention a sex museum and a hentai theater. Thus, without another thought Elizabeth led the way into the porn store.



Inside, several men were quietly browsing along neatly organized isles. Nobody seemed to pay them any attention.



"Ask the guy at the counter," whispered Elizabeth and nudged Adam forward.



"Why me?" asked Adam, astonished.



"Because I asked the last person."



"Mom!" Adam fumed, but walked toward the counter nevertheless.



The man at the counter was flipping through a magazine. Adam cleared his throat to get the man's attention, but with little success.



"Shitsureishimashita," Adam managed.



The man at the counter looked up at him. "American?" he asked.



Adam nodded.



"How can I help?" asked the store clerk with a thick accent.



Adam sighed in relief. He understood Japanese, but speaking it was difficult for him. "I was wondering if you know where I can find a place called Kinshinsokan Monogatari? I was told it was somewhere here in Takasaki."



The clerk furrowed his brow. "No," he said and went back to reading his magazine.



Adam took a step back, then another.



"What did he say?" asked Elizabeth, suddenly appearing from behind.



"Nothing. He said that he didn't know."



"Are you sure? Maybe you should ask him again."



"This is pointless, mom. I'm hungry. Can we go find a restaurant?"



"Fine," said Elizabeth. "I'm hungry too."



"Good restaurant," suddenly said the porn store clerk, appearing next to them. He handed Adam a paper flier and looked curiously at Elizabeth. "Good food. You like."



"O-kay," said Elizabeth slowly. "Thank you."



They walked out of the porn store and onto the street. It was pretty quiet at this time of day, with only a few people walking by.



"It's just a few blocks away," said Adam reading the restaurant flier. "Want to try it?"



Elizabeth shrugged. "Sure. Locals usually know where to eat. Though, I don't know about that guy. He was kind of creepy."



They arrived at the restaurant ten minutes later. It was clean and inviting inside, but completely empty. Before they could turn around and walk out, a cheery old woman appeared out of the back room and led them to a table.



"Are you open?" asked Adam, looking around.



"Yes, yes," replied the old woman, bowing politely. She handed them a couple of menus and poured them some tea.



"Yeh! It's all in Japanese," said Elizabeth tossing the menu to the side. "Order something for me."



Adam's lips moved as he read over each Japanese character.



A few minutes later, Elizabeth heard her stomach growl. "Well? Did you pick something yet?" she asked impatiently.



"Not yet," mumbled Adam.



At that moment, a door to the restaurant opened and an older gentleman, dressed in a nice suit, walked in. He smiled when he noticed Elizabeth and Adam sitting at one of the tables.



"Ah, customers," he said happily. His freshly shined shoes glistened as he took several long strides towards their table.



"Perhaps I can be of some assistance in choosing your lunch." He spoke English with a nearly undetectable accent.



"You sure can," replied Elizabeth. The pleasantness of his appearance made her take an immediate liking to him.



"If you don't mind, let me order for you. I guarantee you won't regret it."



Adam looked up from the menu and frowned up at the stranger.



"Pardon my manners," said the man. "My name is Shigeo. I own several establishments, such as this one, around Takasaki. I'm always happy to see new people visiting our humble city, and I'm always happy to help."



"Okay," nodded Adam. "You know what's good to eat here better than me."



The man gave two claps and the old woman reappeared from the kitchen room. He spoke a few quick sentences to the woman. She bowed and shuffled away.



"How are you enjoying Takasaki so far?" asked Shigeo.



"We just got here in the morning," replied Elizabeth. "We got a hotel a few streets down. Haven't really looked around yet." Elizabeth pointed to a seat next to her. "Please, join us."



Shigeo bowed and lowered himself at their table.



"You absolutely have to visit our temples, and Lake Haruna is beautiful in the evening," said Shigeo.



The old woman came out of the back and brought out a few small dishes.



"Eat," gently instructed Shigeo. He poured himself a cup of tea, while they sampled the food.



"I don't know what this is, but it's good," said Elizabeth while chewing.



Shigeo smiled. "Where are you from?" he asked after taking a sip of the tea.



"California," replied Elizabeth after she swallowed.



"Ah, the Golden State," said Shigeo.



"Have you been?"



"No, but I've been to New York a few times on business."



"My name is Elizabeth, by the way."



"It's a pleasure, Elizabeth. And this young man? Is he your husband?"



"Oh no," said Elizabeth, flustered. "This is my son, Adam."



"Indeed?" Shigeo raised an eyebrow. "I do apologize for my assumption."



"No need to apologize," said Elizabeth. "I'm flattered."



"I'm pleased to meet both of you." Shigeo gave a little bow.



Several more plates of food were brought out for them and Shigeo gracefully pointed out each dish and explained what it was.



After a couple more minutes of small talk, Shigeo pushed himself up to leave. "I hope you enjoy your visit," he said politely. "Come back soon to enjoy more of our food."



He bent into a deep bow.



"Oh," said Elizabeth suddenly remembering. "You wouldn't happen to know of a place called Kinshinsokan Monogatari?"



"Kinshinsokan Monogatari?" Shigeo froze in mid-bow.



"Yes. We were told it was the place to check out around here. You haven't heard of it, have you?"



Shigeo straightened out and looked at Elizabeth. "As it happens, I have heard of it."



"Finally, someone who knows!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "Can you tell us how to find it?"



"Certainly. One moment." Shigeo walked into the kitchen and reappeared a few minutes later. "Here is the address and the directions from here. I hope my English writing isn't too terrible."



"It's excellent," said Elizabeth glancing at the piece of paper.



"Also, if you give them this," Shigeo brought out a business card, "You can get in for free." He winked. "I know the owner."



"Thank you," said Elizabeth. "I was beginning to think this place wasn't real."



"Oh, I assure you, it's as real as it gets." Shigeo looked at his watch. "I must apologize. Business calls me. Enjoy your lunch, and enjoy your time in Takasaki."



The first impression



"This place isn't far," said Adam when they walked out of the restaurant. He was still studying the directions that Shigeo had written. "About two miles. We can take a cab."



"It's a nice day." Elizabeth breathed in the crisp air. "Let's walk."



"Okay. This way then."



They found the place without much difficulty. It was a lonely, plain looking building with a small parking lot and a withered sign. There was no one in sight.



"Looks like it's not open yet," pointed out Adam as they stood staring at the building.



Elizabeth nodded. "What kind of a place do you think it is?"



"It looks like a club to me."



"And to me," said Elizabeth full of suppressed glee, "it looks like a weird kind of place."



Later that evening, Elizabeth and Adam had a cab drop them off a block away from the same building, only now the sign was lit and the front doors were open.



"I don't know why you had to dress up like this," said Adam eyeing his mother's sparkly skirt and overly skimpy blouse.



"If it's a club, like you said, then I have to look good."



"It's probably not the kind of place you want to draw attention to you."



Elizabeth dismissed her son with a hand wave as they approached the front doors, which were attended by a stocky, bald guy.



"Hello," said Elizabeth. She threw her thick chestnut hair over her shoulder and batted her eyelashes at the doorman.



The doorman squinted at them, crossed his muscular forearms and stood imposingly in front of the doors.



Adam quickly fumbled in his pocket, drew out the business card that Shigeo gave them earlier in the day, and handed it to the doorman. The doorman glanced at the business card and immediately showed them inside. He led them down a dark, narrow corridor and they paused in front of another set of doors. At the indication from the doorman, they removed their shoes and walked through the inner doors.



They emerged into a stuffy, dimly lit room. A young woman, wearing a revealing one-piece lingerie and carrying a tray of drinks, almost ran into them. A soft jazz tune, and murmur of people seated around small tables, filled the air.



Adam didn't notice right away the round stage in the center of the semi-circular room. But when he caught the sight, he felt a shiver run down his back. On the stage two people were having sex.



"Live sex show!" exclaimed Elizabeth a about the same moment. "Grab a seat, pal. I'll go order us some drinks."



Adam found himself alone and was suddenly aware of the multitude of eyes looking at him. Feeling self-conscious, he quickly looked around for an unoccupied table. He found one next to the back wall, furthest from the stage, and eased himself in. Even back here, in the dim light, he could feel the gaze of the others on him.



"Whiskey and coke," announced Elizabeth as she put down two glasses. She sat at the opposite side of the little table and looked at the stage. "I've never been to a live sex show before."



"I heard they are pretty common in Amsterdam," replied Adam, trying to appear unbothered.



Elizabeth stood up, and looked around. "Why did you pick a table all the way back here? There's one right at the front."



"I'm not going all the way to the front," said Adam through clenched teeth.



Elizabeth cocked an eye at him. "Adamin, are you embarrassed?"



"No."



"Fine. Be a buzzkill and stay here. I'm going to go sit at the front. Might as well get the full experience."



Adam breathed a sigh of relief when his mother walked away. She was one of the most easy-going people he knew, and sometimes she could be too much. He was still uncomfortable going into a sex shop with her, but a sex show was a lot worse. He couldn't even understand why he was still here, but the moans drifting from the stage reminded him that he was ever so horny. He saw his mom settle down at the table close to the stage. Satisfied that she was far enough away from him, he took a sip of the drink and adjusted the front of his pants.



Adam took a moment to survey the room. Surprisingly, the spectators consisted of couples. Men were dressed in suits, and women wore dresses. They made Adam feel way underdressed, and out of place. Most men were old enough to be grandfathers, though Adam noticed a few younger men, about his own age.



He turned his attention to the stage and wished he could see better. He craned his neck to see over several heads in front of him. He saw a man thrusting his hips between a naked woman's legs, in a missionary position.



Closer to the action, Elizabeth was only a couple of yards away from the stage, and she was getting quite an eyeful. Under the man's small ball sack, Elizabeth could see a hairy pussy, which looked to be abundantly moist. The woman's erratic moans were growing louder.



Elizabeth sipped her drink and watched the show with a smile on her lips. She was beginning to hope for a change of position so that she could get a look at the man and woman from the front. To her dismay, the man yelped, pulled his cock out and spilled his semen onto the woman's stomach. There was a moment of silence as the man's orgasm faded, then an appreciative murmur rose around the room.



Elizabeth studied the man and woman as they rose and, for a moment, stood naked facing the stage. She couldn't remember the last time she saw someone else completely naked like this. As the couple gathered their clothes and left the stage, Elizabeth noticed that the woman seemed to look older than the man. Though, she did agree that she was terrible at judging someone's age.



"Elizabeth?" someone called over her shoulder. She turned to look and was surprised to see Shigeo standing nearby. He smiled and took a few steps towards her. "It's so good to see you." He took her hand into his and pressed it gently.



It wasn't noticeable in the low light, but Elizabeth blushed. She didn't expect such a polite gentleman like Shigeo to be here.



"You come here often?" was all she could say.



"Not too often," laughed Shigeo. "Sometimes I take prospective clients here, if I know what they like. Are you enjoying the show?"



"Yes, but I just got here," said Elizabeth. "Do you want to sit down?" She pointed to the vacant chair, opposite to her.



Shigeo looked behind him, and appeared to be considering something. "It would be my pleasure," he said and settled at Elizabeth's table. "It looks like you've finished your drink. Allow me to order you another one." He waved at a waitress and placed an order.



"Are you alone here tonight?" asked Shigeo turning his attention back to Elizabeth.



"No," replied Elizabeth and glanced towards the back of the room. "Adam is here. Back there somewhere. He's being shy."



"I can understand him. This is an unusual place to visit with your mother."



"Not sure why he's acting this way. Though he can be uptight sometimes." Elizabeth shrugged. "I mean, we've been to a sex museum and a hentai theater together."



"That's quite adventurous of you two."



"We wouldn't do this kind of stuff back home, but you know, when in Japan..." Elizabeth let out a small laugh.



"I take it this is your first time to a place like this."



"Yes, but I hear they are quite common in Amsterdam."



Shigeo chuckled. "Amsterdam has nothing like this place."



"Why is that?"



"This place is much better than anything Amsterdam can offer. It is much more... real."



"Real?"



"Yes. The performers here are all amateurs."



"Oooh," mouthed Elizabeth. "That does make it better."



"Most of the couples here are performing for the first time. Though there are a few regulars."



The waitress brought a bucket of ice, with a bottle of champagne in it, and placed it on their table. She produced two delicate glasses and filled each one of them up with the bubbly liquid.



"Dom Perignon," announced Shigeo.



Elizabeth picked up her glass and gently clinked it against Shigeo's. "It's very good," she acknowledged after a small tasting.



Their attention was drawn to the stage on which an elderly man, dressed in a tuxedo and holding a microphone, began speaking to the audience. He reminded Elizabeth of a boxing ring announcer. The room fell silent as the man pointed into the audience, and a spotlight illuminated a table. At the table sat a comely middle-aged woman and a young man. They stood up and gave several courteous bows, as the man with the microphone waved them up on stage.



"Our dear host, Mr. Kimura, is about to introduce the next couple," explained Shigeo leaning closer to Elizabeth.



The couple made their way onto the stage and Mr. Kimura launched into a conversation with them. Elizabeth couldn't tell, but it appeared that the conversation was a humorous one and people in the audience would giggle from time to time. Mr. Kimura and the middle-aged woman did most of the talking, while the man stood quietly, with eyes sheepishly cast down.



"He looks pretty young," noted Elizabeth, not understanding a word of what was said.



Shigeo nodded. "Their names are Kayo and Ichiro. It's their first time," he explained.



---



Adam listened intently and tried to follow the fast flow of the conversation that was happening on the stage. He didn't catch every word, but could follow the conversation in general. Suddenly, Adam tensed and his eyes grew big.



"What? That's her son?" Adam looked at the young man on stage. "That can't be right."



Adam strained to hear and understand better. "No way!" he whispered and looked around the room. The audience appeared unmoved.



"This is crazy," whispered Adam. "That is her son."



Adam felt his mouth go dry as he listened to Mr. Kimura ask the woman about her work, life, and family. He was trying to guess as to why a mother and son were invited on the stage. But deep down inside he had a growing suspicion.



As if remembering, Adam turned and looked in the direction of his mom. That gentleman from the restaurant, Shigeo, was whispering something in her ear. Taking a big gulp of his whiskey and coke, Adam turned his attention back to the stage.



The host stepped off the stage, leaving the woman and the young man to themselves. The woman looked around the room then turned to look at her son. He stood with hunched shoulders and downcast eyes. She reached up a hand and touched him on the arm, from which he seemed to shrink away.



"No way!" thought Adam. "This isn't happening." He sucked his drink down as he kept watching with terrified excitement.

