John Lennon met Yoko Ono’s parents for the first time on 20 January 1971.
Lennon and Ono had arrived in Japan on 13 January for a vacation, and had not notified Ono’s family in advance. They learnt about the couple’s arrival through press reports.
Ono and Lennon visited her father Eisuke and mother Isoko at their home in Fujisawa, where they had dinner together. Lennon also met Ono’s younger brother Keisuke and younger sister Setsuko.
Ono’s parents were publicly complimentary about Lennon, with Isoko telling reporters: “Lennon-san surprised us all with his excellent manipulation of chopsticks in eating the Japanese meal.”
However, behind the scenes the encounter was less harmonious, with Ono’s parents not impressed by Lennon’s unkempt appearance, and his lack of knowledge of the family’s status in Japanese society.
He just went to my parents’ place unshaven, and wearing an army-surplus coat. Just the most hip outfit, very rock ‘n’ roll! I mean, rock ‘n’ roll can be a performance in a theatre, a beautiful, gorgeous thing. But he was just looking like a bum. This kind of ‘here I am’ attitude.My family was not enamoured. If some families had a son or a daughter involved with the Beatles, maybe they would say, ‘We’d like to meet that guy, we’d like to be invited to a Beatles concert.’ There was none of that, of course.
He just went to my parents’ place unshaven, and wearing an army-surplus coat. Just the most hip outfit, very rock ‘n’ roll!
Sunday Times, 4 March 2010
Lennon and Ono left Japan on this day, so that Lennon could testify in the court case to dissolve The Beatles’ partnership, although upon their return he was informed that he could have fulfilled his legal requirements by telephone.