Happi to fly with the Beatles

A few weeks ago someone named Mark happened to email me and told me that his mum was the airline stewardess that flew with the Beatles to Japan in 1966!  Now that is the dream of any Beatle fan, isn't it?   To be "stuck" on an airplane with all four Beatles on a long flight!    

His mother's name is Satoko Kawasaki and in 1966 she worked for Japan Airlines.   She wanted to be the stewardess that was on the Beatles flight, and so basically she was told by the head person of the airlines that she would make sure that the Beatles were wearing the Japanese Happi coats that had the Japanese Airlines logo on them (JAL). 

And so Satoko was given the task of being the stewardess of the Beatles flight.  She met the Beatles in Alaska during their unplanned layover due to the weather.  

Now you and I know that the Beatles had strict orders from Brian Epstein to never give free publicity to companies.   And you may also recall that John Lennon particularly disliked this practice of being used to give out free publicity.   You might recall a photo of an angry John pulling a sticker off a car in Australia?     So Satoko might have had hit a dead-end in having the Beatles wear the JAL Happi coats if it wasn't for a bit of luck on her side.

When the Beatles were unexpectedly delayed in Alaska, they were not able to get their luggage out of the plane.   So they were wearing wrinkled, old clothes.   John just so happened to ask Satoko to press his suit jacket, which gave her the opening to offer the Happi Coats to the group.   She said that it would be a great way to cover up the old clothes they had one and when the fans see them in Japanese garb, they would be thrilled.   Surprisingly, John thought it sounded like a great idea and the Happi coats were handed out and worn by all four Beatles.  

I have a Christie's auction catalog from 1995 in which one of the coats was sold, and it states that nine coats were made and given out.   The way I figure it from looking at photos the coats went to:  John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Brian Epstein, Mal Evans, Alf Bicknell, Neil Aspinall and Robert Whitaker.   

Besides the one sold in 1995, another one was up on ebay a few years ago.  That one had Ringo's name inside, but it couldn't be proven to be one of the true coats or not.   A company now makes the Happi Coats that look just like the Beatles ones and sells them online.     So funny that the advertising for Japanese Airlines goes on today!

Mark's mom, asked the Beatles for their autograph on a photo, which she still has to this day.   Plus she was given tickets to see them at their concert in Tokyo.   What an amazing story!

To read about this and see a neat video, please visit  Mark's blog.  

Satoko serving Paul in the airplane to Tokyo.