In the beautiful port city of Yokohama, there are three important high-rises collectively called the Three Towers. When referred to individually, they are the King, the Queen and the Jack. The King is the headquarters of the Kanagawa Prefecture; Queen, the Yokohama Customs building; and Jack, the Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall. The three survived the massive Great Kanto earthquake of 1923, and are the lucky mascots of the Japanese. They believe that seeing all three from one place (Osanbashi Pier is the best place to see them together) will bring you luck. It is just a 40-minute drive from the Three Towers to the Imperial Palace of the emperor. The emperor has no abode in Yokohama, but in 2002, a coronation took place in the economic and commercial hub of Tokyo.
On June 30, a new king of football was crowned in the city. At the Yokohama stadium, three towers stood tall as Brazil destroyed Germany in the final of the FIFA World Cup and emerged champions. They were Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. Fans called them Ro-Ri-Ro. Those who have witnessed all three playing together are considered lucky, and I am one of them. As Brazil lifted the cup, wild celebrations broke out outside the stadium. Beautiful Brazilian women threw away their shape-wear, cupped their breasts and yelled: “One for Honaldo, one for Hivaldo.” (In Portuguese, R is pronounced as H.) Someone asked: What about Ronaldinho? Pat came the reply: “He is a kid.” Ronaldinho, at 22, was one of the youngest players in the championship team.
This story is from the October 16, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 16, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
