Life Magazine, 11 September 1964
Life Magazine, 11 September 1964

“Bowling is the hottest new sports fad in Japan, and Tokyo has the biggest bowling center in the world, with 120 lanes. This monster, the Shinagawa Bowling Center, is open until 3 in the morning. It attracts, in addition to serious bowlers, a good many beatniks and nightclub hostesses after the clubs have closed. Other bowling lanes where a little English is spoken include the Tokyo Bowling Center, right next to Meiji Olympic Park, Tokyo Bowl at Tokyo Tower and the Korakuen Bowling Arena in Korakuen Park. Reservations are necessary, especially at night. All of these places have restaurants and bars, but the food is not recommended. Bowling costs a steep 60¢ to $1 a line.” Sports Illustrated – July 6, 1964

I went to a birthday party at this bowling alley last April. I bowled one of my best games ever – 158.

Don Draper is tired of settling for mid-sized clients. He wants to work on the best projects with the biggest players in the world. He sets up a meeting with Dow Chemical, whose CEO is happy with another ad agency, and has no desire to talk with Draper. But Draper taps into the competitive drive inherent in effective leaders. Like high performance athletes, Don doesn’t settle for winning, or just being happy. He wants to win, big, on the biggest stage.

Dow CEO: It doesn’t change the fact that we’re happy with our agency.

Draper: Are you? You’re happy with 50%? You’re on top and you don’t have enough. You’re happy because you’re successful. For now. But what is happiness? It’s a moment before you need more happiness. I won’t settle for 50% of anything. I want 100%. You’re happy with your agency? You’re not happy with anything. You don’t want most of it. You want all of it. And I won’t stop until you get all of it. Thank you for your time.

The top pop songs of 1964 were:

1.  “I Want to Hold Your Hand” The Beatles
2.  “She Loves You” The Beatles
3.  “Hello, Dolly!” Louis Armstrong
4.  “Oh, Pretty Woman” Roy Orbison
5.  “I Get Around” The Beach Boys
6.  “Everybody Loves Somebody” Dean Martin
7.  “My Guy” Mary Wells
8.  “We’ll Sing in the Sunshine” Gale Garnett
9.  “Last Kiss” J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers
10. “Where Did Our Love Go” The Supremes

No surprises. But according to swimmer Dick Roth, gold medal winner of the Men’s 400 meter individual medley race in Tokyo, the song he remembers from that time is Lonnie Donegan’s  “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose it’s Flavour?”