Lyric

At dusk

We checked into a weathered, old ryokan

Quiet and timeworn

With our friends

We split up

Into two rooms

Not long after we settled in

Someone from the other room came over

Their face was trembling

“I can’t do this…” they whispered

Pointing back toward the room

We all rushed there

And every one of us

Started to shake

In the tatami room

In the alcove

A doll stood, faintly lit in the darkness

No one could handle it

Everyone said

“No way…”

After that

One strange, uneasy feeling

Followed another

Throughout the inn

The next morning

As we were leaving

We said goodbye

To the family who ran the place

At the entrance

A clever looking cat

Sat quietly on a cushion

Looking at the family’s warm smiles

I finally understood

There was nothing malicious

In that strange feeling

It was only something

We didn’t understand

Their smiles left me

With nothing but gratitude

They were simply

A hardworking family

Helping each other

The best they could

Like a beckoning cat

It felt as though

They were being watched over

Kind, genuine people

More than 20 years later

It remains a fond memory

It was truly

Wonderful hospitality