America-Dori (American Street) (Remix)/NENES
From the CD "KOZA" (1996, SR Ki/oon KSC2 156)
(lyrics translated by Gerald Figal and James Roberson)

(Koza, Koza . . . Gate, Koza . . . Gate)*

Words from many countries
Flooding the town
In the space between day and night
The bustle of pawn shops
The neon of audio shops
The East Indian clothing stores
Like a town in a foreign country
Horizontal letters dancing

America Street twilight
rock, shima-uta, rap, reggae
our island, this Koza town
mixed up, mixed together
mixed up, mixed together
America Street

Thread-like vapor trails
Painting pictures in the sky
In the space between day and night
White-skinned women
Black-skinned men
Brown-skinned island people
in the store-front windows
lovers reflecting

America Street twilight
rock, shima-uta, rap, reggae
our island, this Koza town
mixed up, mixed together
mixed up, mixed together
America Street

Stores like a movie set
brighten up the town
in the space between day and night
smiles of GIs
blonde hair flowing with the wind
the odd English of merchants
the town's like a box of toys
with dreams and romance spilling out

America Street twilight
rock, shima-uta, rap, reggae
our island, this Koza town
mixed up, mixed together
mixed up, mixed together
America Street

* "Koza Gate" refers to Gate 2 of Kadena Air Base. The street (previously known as "Gate Street") leaving from Gate 2 spills into the business and entertainment district of Koza City (renamed Okinawa City after the reversion of Okinawa to Japanese rule in 1972, but still commonly refered to as Koza). During the height of the American Occupation of Okinawa in the 1960s Koza was notorious for its bars, live music clubs, and brothels. It also was the site for anti-base riots in1970. While still filled with businesses that cater to US military personnel, it isn't nearly as rough as in pre-Reversion days.