Sunglasses At Night (In The City Of Blinding Lights)

Autumn has just blown into Japan on the back on a very windy day, and with it came our first overnight trip since coming to Japan exactly one month ago. Osaka: city of food. After school on Friday we bought our train tickets and set off for Osaka. We arrived at the hostel around 8, dropped our things and headed straight for Dotonbori. Dotonbori, in case you are unaware, is basically the most famous restaurant district in Japan. There is a Japanese proverb that, roughly translated, says, "In Kyoto, one goes broke from shopping. In Osaka, one goes broke from food." (Doesn't it look cool in Japanese: 京の着倒れ、大阪の食い倒れ). Well, that proverb couldn't be more true for Osaka (here's hoping I can control myself in Kyoto). We ate until we dropped. Takoyaki, okonomiyaki, udon, crepes! (Are you hungry yet?) The food was amazing, but more amazing still was Dotonbori itself. All night long, Dotonbori is in the midst of daytime thanks to the enormous neon signs that light the way around you. Like a kind of futuristic Darwinism, it's survival of the biggest and brightest. The streets are so lit up that the night sky above looks completely out if place. It's very strange to be in a restaurant on the 7th floor of a building (in Japan there are 10 story buildings where each level is a different restaurant- it's really quite common) where there are no windows and as you walk out onto a seemingly sunlit street you look up to the sky to find it is stark black. Dotonbori, despite its glaring neon signs, has really a unique kind of beauty- the kind that some might argue is shared with the likes of New York or Las Vegas. The neon signs are well matched with the bustling crowds, street vendors yelling "irasshaimasseeeeeee," giant, robotic crabs, uniformed waiters frantically shoving flyers into your hands and drunken party-goers stumbling around, and yet is contrasted so peculiarly by a serene canal that runs alongside the main stretch from which Dontonbori takes its name. But besides being fascinating, Dontonbori is undoubtedly a very fun place to be.
After a successful first night, we woke up late the next day, ate the best udon I have ever had and headed to the seaside to Osaka Aquarium. I have only been to one other aquarium but it pales in comparison to this one. Said to be one of the best in the world, Osaka Aquarium is arranged around one HUGE tank that houses two whales sharks, manta rays (my particular favourite), hammerhead sharks, black and white tipped sharks, other rays, sawfish, and much, Much, MUCH more! As you wind down through the aquarium around this tank, there are displays of all sort of other sea creatures around you, too. Seals, dolphins, penguins, capybaras, eels, sea lions, otters, giant spider crabs (aliens, I suspect), and millions of species of fish. I loved every second of it. And, as if getting to watch a ray float around gracefully in front of me for the first time wasn't great enough, I was surprised at the end to find there was a tank in which you could touch stingrays! I just about spontaneously combusted with excitement and happiness. If you have ever seen what a ray's face (well, a sort of face anyway on their underside) looks like then you will know why I love them so much. Such silly looking faces, I can't but laugh even now just picturing them. Google it. You won't be sorry.
After the aquarium (after I dragged myself out of it, that is), Sean and I rode on the world's largest Ferris Wheel which offers a spectacular view of Osaka right over to the neighbouring prefecture of Kobe. Then it was back towards the hostel with a quick stop at Osaka Castle. Well, it was intended to be quick, but it was so gorgeous we wandered around for a while. It looks a bit like Nagoya Castle only surrounded by more trees than tourists (and the trees are just starting to change colour- beautiful!).
Later, we met with Sean's friend who took us to another izakaya restaurant which was a lot of fun. We traded some culture over a couple bottles of sake. Drinking warm sake in an izakaya- doesn't get more Japanese than that (although my friends told me yesterday that sake is mainly drunk by older people so we probably looked a bit strange ordering it...Oh well, I don't regret it).
Our final day in Osaka, Sean's friend took us to a great okonomiyaki restaurant followed by a little shopping- a kitchen store so John could buy a very professional Japanese cooking knife, the Hello Kitty store for me (what did you expect?!). Then it was back on the train home.
Oh, Osaka. What a place! It is a major tourist town so most of the waiters and merchants can speak some English (I was both relieved and insulted when we were handed English menus right off the bat though). I think once may have been enough though. The crowds were more than I expected. I'd image living there would be similar to walking back from the fireworks in English Bay in the summer, everyday. Too much for me to handle.
Tuesday we threw a Halloween Party at school complete with costumes (I'll give you three guesses as to what I was dressed as...), pumpkin carving, copious amounts of candy and a scary movie. I can't even begin to describe how much fun it was, just imagine all those things plus a room full of Japanese girls who have never really experienced Halloween before. Endless laughter.
I'll miss Halloween with my friends this year, but I'm sure I'll have fun anyway. I'm glad I got to carve a pumpkin. :-)

So long for now and have a Happy Halloween!!

Kampai!

Britt

I miss green apples with peanut butter.