December, for those of us below the equator, means summer and the
Christmas holidays; however strange the concept of a squelchingly hot,
sweltering end to the year might sound, and how disturbing the image of sweating Santas in shopping malls might be. Not
being religious, the most important thing therefore becomes the holiday
proffered at the end of the year and the bounties that it portends. This year I,
with some intelligent and humorous friends (two qualities one must insist on in
travelling companions) ventured into Japan.
For me, I’m slightly ashamed to say, it was the first time I have set
foot on the land of the rising sun. However, Japan, like many other renowned places
of the world, has already infused its culture globally and thus has formed in
my mind certain expectations. Growing up with many of its mangas and animes,
the notion of Japan
as a country of great imagination is deeply rooted in my psyche.
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| Saint Seiya |
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| Doraemon |
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| Astroboy |
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| Dragonball |
Like most
enjoyable things in childhood, the stories and characters of those cartoons and
comics made also for especially cherished sentiments towards their birthplace. However,
as one bade farewell to childhood, inevitably I became more aware of Japan as also an
ancient kingdom – and like all ancient kingdoms, it carries within itself the baggage, nuance and
curlicues of history symptomatic of age; all that which gives a country allure and fascination. First mentioned in written history as a kingdom in the Chinese Book of Han
(around 100A.D.) but going hundreds of years further back, Japan is steeped in
traditions and customs, aesthetics and philosophies distilled by centuries.
With also the more recent and pertinent stains of wars and victimhood from natural
disasters, the country offers a lot to ruminate upon. Armed with these interlacing
ideas, or perhaps prejudices, I knew Japan would be a large meal that will
take some digestion. Nevertheless, it has proven to be a delicious feast that I am very
glad to have partaken.
Where to start with so much to choose from? Perhaps, like the King
of Hearts in Alice
in Wonderland suggested, it’s best to ‘start at the beginning’. Arriving in Osaka (Japan's sister city to Melbourne, my home town) at night, the efficient railway system took a friend
and me to central Osaka
from the airport with minimal fuss and terrific efficiency. It’s perhaps the
place to express my immense appreciation for the railway systems in Japan, which plainly puts the Melbourne version to shame. Being a weekday
and having arrived late meant that we missed the chance to change lines for the
subway by the skin of our teeth. We decided to walk the rest of the way. Getting almost instantly lost
for a lack of orientation skills, maps, willingness to incur
high costs to use 3G, and even familiar constellations to navigate by, we were forced
to ask for directions using rusty Japanese
learnt (in my case) a decade ago on the few passerbys unlucky enough to be in the vicinity. Despite the slightly demure, reticent
and reserved reputation of the Japanese, we found that in spite of difficulties of
communication, the people we assailed were inevitably friendly and willing to
help, aided by a combination of slow-enunciation, repetition and gesticulations. They were also ineluctably polite, proving that certain stereotypes are true. Two
more things struck me whilst we were on our, you would be glad to hear, successful quest for our flat: one
being how clean the streets were – not a cigarette butt or a piece of crumpled
up tissue in sight, and secondly how safe it felt despite the hour. One feels that small
girls waving large wads of bills could skip across town without being harassed.
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| Octopus with quail egg in its head |
The well-known friendliness of the Osakans, or the Kansai people in
general seems well founded. At the markets, where an astounding array of unacquainted seafood and cornucopia of delicious snacks were on display (including fugu, or
puffer fish swimming lazily in tanks, un-puffed and looking anything but delicious as well as large slabs of whale meat
on trays), the shop keepers would always try to have a friendly chat, proudly show off their English and do some
harmless flirting with the girls. People greeted each other with friendly voices. Laughter intermingled with the enthusiastic and (judging from the tone) amusing shop hollering, sing-song cries and rapid chants by the stall keepers, which all echoed cheerily in the bustling space. Enticing smells of food and spices mixed with wafts of unfamiliar vegatables and sea-food redolent in the air. All together assailing the senses in a way that seemed to slow down time in a marvelous way. I often feel like this while travelling - it must have been how kids feel most of the time, experiencing and being engrossed, captivated and beguiled by anything and everything new.
The Osaka-jo or Osaka castle is a
grand structure that bespoke of the historic importance of the second largest
city in Japan.
Built in the 16th century by the great warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi,
the castle rises majestically in the centre of a large clearing composed of
parks and walks, sitting on a two tiered hillock with moats and imposing walls. The green tiles and golden edgings lends it an air of elegance despite its hefty size. Inside is a museum with exhibits of Japanese history and the history of the
castle. The panoramic view from the top storey alone is also worth the climb.
The famous night
life of the Dontonbori is as colourful as one can hope for. Besides the great
panoply of delicious Japanese cuisine like takoyaki, ramen, soba, tako-yaki,
okonomi-yaki there are also shops, bars, cafes and clubs. The atmosphere is
cheerful, friendly and fun and not at all raucous. There is a feeling of exuberant love of life permeating the city, a sense of groundedness with healthy humour and an appreciation for the bounties of nature. Finishing off the evening with a generous selection of local foods like okonomiyaki, takoyaki, teppanyaki washed down by large, cool beers and conversation proved to be a perfect start to Japan. Osaka
seemed to me a good place to live.
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| Glico man sign besides the canal |
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| Kani Doraku Crab |
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| Takoyaki |
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| Fugu shop sign |
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