Nagoya's Kanayama Station is not the station to catch the Shinkansen from: you need to go to Nagoya Station for that.
And that's where I was headed, but accidently got off the train from Chiryu one station too early, at Kanayama.
Beside Kanayama Station is the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. In the distance one can see the neon sign advertising a love hotel called the "Hotel California", and the station's forecourt on a Sunday is a place for music.
Rock bands, formed by high school students, gather in the forecourt of Kanayama with their electric guitars, electric keyboards, microphones, amplifiers and portable generators to serenade the passing crowds, sell their self-produced CDs and hopefully get discovered and become famous.
Beside the stairs leading down to an underpass, two lads were jamming quietly, and as I thought they sounded pretty good and their CD only cost 1500Y (about $12), I decided to buy a copy.
The entire band, and their roadie (which was Mum) came up to the collapsible table to thank me personally, then the two who were jammig picked up their guitars and started playing seriously.
Just for me.
One reason for my trip was to see Keiko Masuda in concert in Tokyo: a concert I didn't see because it had been sold out before I had a chance to get a ticket.
But my consolation was my own personal concert in the heat of a Nagoya railway forecourt in the midsummer.
Just around the corner were two other young hopefuls with a drum kit, an electronic keyboard, a portable gennie and a selection of original and catchy tunes.
I believe I must probably be the only person in Brisbane -- maybe even the only person in Australia -- with a Kara Furu Pop CD in their collection.
Although they play different varieties of J-pop from one another, both groups deserve to go quite a bit further in the Japanese music industry than the forecourt of the Kanayama JR Station.
And no, I didn't stay at the Hotel California. Although I've heard it's a lovely place, I was a bit worried that I'd never leave...
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