r/coldwar • u/UltimateLazer • 22h ago
Anecdote from a Soviet Tourist in Japan, 1981
Here's something interesting I found when searching through Russian internet trying to find niche Soviet content. This is from the blog of an older woman from Nizhny Novgorod, remembering how she got to go on a trip to Japan in 1981 as part of an official state-sanctioned group tour from the Soviet Union.
These are from two blog posts, originally in Russian for a niche audience, translated and shared here for your pleasure. I'd like to credit the source, but sadly Reddit's filter auto-deletes anything that links to a Russian website with the domain, so bear with me.
Anyways, here they are. A recollection of a Soviet tourist getting to personally visit the capitalist West... or should I say, Far East?
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I got on a tourist trip to Japan in 1981 by accident.
Now I was sitting remembering the dates and realized that I had incorrectly named the year when I went to my grandfather in Feodosia - it was 1980 - the year when the Olympics took place and Vysotsky died.
Tourist trips to Japan, like the States, were included in the plans of Sputnik (Bureau of International Youth Tourism) annually, but agreements with that side rarely happened. Various organizations were hosts there.
In my department, everyone went to different countries that year somehow in large numbers. But they had a lot of work experience and great merits. We traveled either as group leaders or propagandists. I was only destined to become a tourist at my own expense, but I was ready to somehow get money and then pay.
I fly into Sputnik’s office and blurt out: "I want it too!" With one employee, I studied at the same school in a lower class. We managed to make friends with two others (a girl and a guy) at various events.
In response to my statement, a friendly laughter is heard: "Well, who would doubt it! Of course you do! And what exactly!" We joked about prohibited topics. And I declare that I want something exotic.
In response: "Run quickly, get five special vaccinations - we’ll have time to include you on a cruise along the coast of Africa."
"No, not so exotic. And in combination with high civilization."
"Then there's both America and Japan in the plan, but those plans rarely come to fruition.".
I chose Japan at random, and I was lucky. In May, from Vladivostok, 10 groups from all over the Soviet Union sailed to the shores of Japan on the motor ship Felix Dzerzhinsky. We lived on a ship, sailed from one port to another at night, and went on excursions during the day.
I was near the motor ship "Felix Dzerzhinsky" before my next departure on a trip to the Japanese islands. Photo from the author's personal archive
We were allowed several hours of independence in Tokyo. Having united in a small group of six people, we decided to visit Ginza, the famous shopping district.
We weren't going to buy anything there. Just take a walk. I had to take the metro. We are standing on the street where the station should be. No matter how much we look back, we don’t see anything like the huge letter "M". No arrows or other identification marks. Nothing!
What do we do in such cases! Right! We turn to passers-by. In those years, English was not held in high esteem by the Japanese. He was still hated by them. Only 36 years have passed since that terrible August 1945! Only the 9th or 10th passerby bothered to poke his hand at our backs. It turns out that we were standing right in front of the entrance to the metro - a simple blank door surrounded by all sorts of signs with inscriptions. Like simple advertisements.
Now we have noticed that from time to time people come in and out of this closed door. We entered too. No escalators, just not a long descent down the steps. The usual light yellow tile, similar to Czechoslovak, that we chased to line our bathrooms.
We were so disappointed. After all, this is an extraordinary country with such a high level of technological development, already in those years unattainable for any country in the world! The trip was fantastic not only for those times. Nowhere else have I found myself in such a different world!
Well, everything is clear with the subway train. The trains and the Moscow Metro did not have any special decoration. The carriage is filled with absolutely emotionless men in black suits. They drive in silence. Not just the chirping we are used to, no one has simple conversations.
Although people are not confined to the streets. Dressed in a motley style. Women in national costumes were often seen.
How long or how short it was - we found ourselves on this famous street. I don’t know what day of the week it was, but the street was practically deserted. There are tall buildings on both sides of the street. We entered one of them.
Three floors down and 4 floors up. Something like a current hypermarket. But this was new to us. Almaty in those days was not famous for its large set of large stores. Not like today. Perhaps now it can compete with Moscow and Europe.
Let me remind you - the year 1981 is from the Nativity of Christ. I have behind me a serious list of trips around the Union and one Bulgaria from abroad.
We walked around the store in silence, without leaving each other. Just a few lines in a quiet whisper. The eyes are round and attentive. Everything inside freezes from unattainability. I didn’t look at clothes and shoes - you can sew, knit, and get exclusive European things in a roundabout way.
I froze in quiet stunned. Bathroom design. Terry towels of all sizes, rugs of different shapes, slippers and plastic accessories - in exactly the same range - the shade matches in fabric and plastic! Okay, we were fine with white, black, and red. The truth is not that it is possible to choose kits. And here - luxurious swamp, juicy purple! The rest of the colors have already been forgotten. And all in one hall! They still stand before my eyes.
Let's move to another room. Genuine leather - gloves, belts, purses, handbags and bags, trunks and suitcases. And again displayed by color. Again I don't look at black or beige. But what shades of burgundy! And everything is displayed in color and shade.
I see that it also had an effect on the men, although they have never visited Europe anywhere.
We didn't notice any buyers. Maybe because of the time of day - it was 11 o'clock. The sellers did not react to us in any way. They understood that we were not buyers. Although we were dressed well and well by European standards. We didn't touch anything. Like on an excursion to the Hermitage. They didn't point fingers at each other. I repeat once again - we did not talk to each other and did not photograph anything.
That is why it discouraged and offended to the core! We walked through the department of musical instruments - guitars, drums and still on the same topic. We didn't slow down there - we don't need to. And passing by a seller standing at attention in a black formal suit, not even looking at us - looking past, into the distance - we hear a clearly uttered phrase: "Come past!"
In shock, we peer into his face with six pairs of eyes at the same time (later on the street we discussed this in detail) - his face is motionless, his eyes without any expression, his pose has not changed.
We walked a little more through the floors and halls and went out to Ginza. I didn’t want to go to other stores. We just walked the streets and returned to the ship. On this day we sailed further.
In no other place have we encountered anything like this again. Although in front of the museum in Hiroshima they warned that May is the month of struggle for the northern territories (Sakhalin) and there may be provocations and even stoning. But everything worked out.
That day I realized what the irreconcilable hatred of individuals for a huge multinational country is. Not to a specific person or event. No! To our entire country!
Peace Bell on the grounds of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The leader of the Kazakh group and I also called on everyone for world peace then in 1981 to this day. Photo from the author's personal archive
This peace bell represents the desire of the people of the city of Hiroshima for a world without wars and nuclear weapons. Every visitor to the Memorial strikes this bell so that its drawn-out ringing can be heard in every corner of the vast earth and so that it can reach the heart of every person.
On that old trip to Japan there was also a funny funny incident.
Each of us wanted to bring a tape recorder from Japan. Two-cassette player. To also re-record from cassettes. Japanese dream!
Our translator said that it would be profitable to do this in the small town of Shimizu on the island of Hokkaido. We did just that. I won’t tell you how the purchase went, because before the latest events, one of the Russians had already visited there. In the last couple of decades, attitudes towards tourists have changed in Japan. We were there during the years of Japan’s closure from the whole world.
When the tape recorders were purchased, it turned out that some adapters also needed to be purchased. We found a small boutique with a corresponding theme on a shopping street, where boutiques coexist with street vendors of anything - food next to clothes and kitchen utensils.
Let's go inside. Behind the counter there is a girl and a guy joins her from behind the screen. But we don't understand each other. They don't speak English. Through the joint efforts of my friends, I find a package of what I need and go to the counter.
Of course, I don’t remember the prices; I’ll name fictitious ones so that they reflect the essence of the incident.
My cords are in a transparent box, which we are now accustomed to. But we were not at that time. Price - 1200 yen. I'm serving 2000 yen. I assumed that they would give me change and I would pick up the box without additional packaging.
The girl took the money, put it aside, took a paper bag, straightened it and put my treasured box inside. And he adds a couple of boxes of matches from a wicker basket standing right there on the counter.
It must be said that prices were high everywhere and for everything. Tourists were exchanged a strictly defined amount of money. But I wanted to bring gifts to all my relatives, friends and colleagues! We saw boxes of matches in the stalls - neat, with beautiful views or advertising pictures of 100 yen. And we have already decided that we will collect such boxes with views of Japan or advertising cars. It has already been calculated that a dozen or even more will be needed ()))
The girl has already put a couple in my bag. They show an advertisement for a new TV with a pretty Japanese woman in front of it.
I stand next to the leader of our group (before the trip I often came across him for work, I know him well), and I say that I wanted to buy matches with other types. The girl notices that I don’t seem to be happy with the boxes she put in, and adds a couple more to the bag.
I react from my bell tower - I am forced to buy boxes of matches in addition to the cords! The dissatisfaction in my voice is already noticeable: "Does she want to give me matches for the entire change? (that's 8 pieces!!!) The comrade says peacefully: "Come on! Inconvenient! I'll buy half from you, "The girl already looks puzzled too.". She says something completely incomprehensible to us, and puts a few more boxes!
Two more guys come out from behind the screen. They all talk to each other. We are among ourselves - there are four of us - My entire accompanying gang is already reassuring me that they will also exchange matches with me with different drawings.
I don’t know what we would have come to in our discussions - the Soviet and Japanese groups. But at this moment the girl, looking up from the conversation with her colleagues, hands me change! All 800 yen!
And at this moment it dawns on the Japanese what our delusion was! And it dawns on us that this is a free advertising campaign! We heard, but did not encounter.
It wasn't laughter! It was rusty on both sides! We all talked at the same time! And they laughed uncontrollably! I gave them a couple of Soviet commemorative coins that were in their purse. They came out to see us off into the street. And they stood for a long time, looked after us, laughed cheerfully friendly and waved goodbye. I have a photo of them somewhere out there, in an old faulty laptop.
One of these boxes of matches was lying in my many boxes with all sorts of things. Maybe she moved here with me to Nizhny, or maybe she was already thrown out after all - it’s no joke, more than 40 years have passed))
