Japan Jambo

 

Here is the story of Kenichi"Kenny" Yajima and how he came to love the Hearts ......

 

I'm a Japanese Jambo living in Japan.

Let me talk about My Jambo History.

It was a day before Scottish cup final '96. I was enjoying my first Scotland visit. I went to the pub called "OLIVER's"  in Rose St. A man who working there taught me that there are two teams in Edinburgh,"Hearts" and "Hibs". I had known nothing about Scottish football except Rangers and Celtic until he told me so. I had very interest with Hearts while he talking  about next day.

The day of cup final, I was at Isle of Skye. I watched TV and Heart had lost to Gers 1-5....... I hated the Gers, Glasgow giants. Then the jambos became to my best and first Scottish club, I decided. I bought me a Hearts scarf before dep UK.

I decided to fly to Edinburgh again to see Jambos last year's April.  Jambos were Top of the table at that time.

Scottish cup semi-final was my first exceperience of Scottish football. Some Jambos who working at OLIVER'S picked me up to Ibrox on "For Jambos only" coach. It was one of my greatest memory, though I had heavy hang over. They took me to famous "Tynecastle Arms"  before 11a.m,and I saw Tynecastle stadium. (Though Jambos had 3-1 won,the most impressive player was  Falkirk's Kevin McCalister !.)But It was the first and last.They'd never won all of league games that I went to see at Tynecastle and Easter Road and then they dropped out from League champion race.....!.  After they beaten by Rangers 0-3 at Tynecastle,I had to go back to Japan before The Jambos won the cup.....What a Unlucky guy I am !(I'd asked to Edinburgh Evening news to send me some Newspaper of Cup winners special edition and I've got a lot of copies.)

But all the things happened to me is great, what more can I say ! Those things while happened in Edinburgh made me write a book when I back to Japan!.I'd like to suggest to you to visit OLIVER's(There are mainly HIBS fan but half are Hearts fan I think.) and ask "Do you have a book called "Don't come home too soon ?" You will be shown them a Maroon colour covered Japanese Book written about Hearts and nice people who I met in the Beautiful city.

Sadly I can't watch Scottish League via satellite in Japan. But I can watch some Scotland's National team's game. It gives me real pleasure when I see Colin "Handy"Cameron and Paul Richie,Neil McCann(Now he is in Huns.....God!) on TV !.

This is for today .cheers ! JAMBOS !

Kenichi Yajima Far east Jambo.