Trying new things can be
intimidating, but if you don't try them how do you know you won't like them?
Today we moved from Tokyo to Osaka. As the second largest city in the country, Osaka provided a different look into Japan than the one Tokyo provided. Tokyo is like a rainbow: so many bright colors accosting you at every turn. Osaka is like a concrete wall: stiff and gray, putting business and industry first. I wouldn't begin to presume that Osaka is all business and no fun because the look of the city we got today was pretty brief. The day began in Tokyo. I got up early yet again, waking a little after five. What can I say? Being in Japan for the first time was exciting.
I hadn't had a cigarette in a couple of days. On day 1 and 2, I didn't really see many people smoking on the streets. I'm still not sure if cigarettes are considered overall unhealthy and unpopular here, but I'd like to think that's not the case considering how many cigarette vending machines there are. And they offer so many brands! Surely there must be a somewhat large market for them, right? Located around the city are designated smoking areas; cylindrical ashtrays that reach up to about 2 1/2 feet tall signal smokers to gather around. After setting up my 3DS and downloading the copy of Theatrhythm Curtain Call that came with it, I decided to grab a cig and find one of these smoking areas. It was located right outside the main lobby. I saw some other people standing around the little cylinder and joined them.
It was kind of an awkward situation. We all just stood there, silently puffing our cancer sticks. No conversation was made. Everybody was male. As soon as one of them was finished smoking, they walked off to begin their day. I felt satisfied. Is it just me, or do Japanese cigarettes not really leave you smelling like...well, a cigarette? When I returned inside for breakfast, I didn't feel that lingering smoke odor that usually refuses to leave you alone after smoking. But I'm not sure, maybe it was just the brand I chose.
Meeting back up with the complete Kakehashi group, we all checked our larger bags and got onto the bus to head to the bullet train that would take us to Osaka. Reaching speeds of up to 200mph, the bullet train is the fastest way to travel in Japan.
Today we moved from Tokyo to Osaka. As the second largest city in the country, Osaka provided a different look into Japan than the one Tokyo provided. Tokyo is like a rainbow: so many bright colors accosting you at every turn. Osaka is like a concrete wall: stiff and gray, putting business and industry first. I wouldn't begin to presume that Osaka is all business and no fun because the look of the city we got today was pretty brief. The day began in Tokyo. I got up early yet again, waking a little after five. What can I say? Being in Japan for the first time was exciting.
I hadn't had a cigarette in a couple of days. On day 1 and 2, I didn't really see many people smoking on the streets. I'm still not sure if cigarettes are considered overall unhealthy and unpopular here, but I'd like to think that's not the case considering how many cigarette vending machines there are. And they offer so many brands! Surely there must be a somewhat large market for them, right? Located around the city are designated smoking areas; cylindrical ashtrays that reach up to about 2 1/2 feet tall signal smokers to gather around. After setting up my 3DS and downloading the copy of Theatrhythm Curtain Call that came with it, I decided to grab a cig and find one of these smoking areas. It was located right outside the main lobby. I saw some other people standing around the little cylinder and joined them.
It was kind of an awkward situation. We all just stood there, silently puffing our cancer sticks. No conversation was made. Everybody was male. As soon as one of them was finished smoking, they walked off to begin their day. I felt satisfied. Is it just me, or do Japanese cigarettes not really leave you smelling like...well, a cigarette? When I returned inside for breakfast, I didn't feel that lingering smoke odor that usually refuses to leave you alone after smoking. But I'm not sure, maybe it was just the brand I chose.
Meeting back up with the complete Kakehashi group, we all checked our larger bags and got onto the bus to head to the bullet train that would take us to Osaka. Reaching speeds of up to 200mph, the bullet train is the fastest way to travel in Japan.
Getting on the train was simple. Really, it was just like
getting on a normal train. Compared to boarding a plane, there was no security
pat down, full body scans or uncomfortable "random" rubber glove
checks. Our tickets were stamped and we were off. The trip lasted a little over 2 hours. Considering the
distance between Tokyo and Kyoto is 342 miles, that's not bad. Unfortunately, I didn't
really absorb much of the shinkansen (bullet train) culture. I knew the trip
would be a little over 2 hours, so I took this opportunity to get some writing
done. We got back from Akihabara so late the night before, I didn't feel like
writing when I returned to my room. Sleep beckoned, and I obliged. "I'll
do it tomorrow on the train.", I said to my roommate before drifting off
to sleep. However, I don't really think there's much of a difference
between riding a bullet train and riding a normal train aside from the speed
and convenience. Traveling between Long Island and NYC
via train many times in the past, I think the overall experience of the
shinkansen and normal trains are very similar. The only real difference between
the two is that aesthetically the shinkansen is much nicer. On the inside, it's
more like an airplane. The seats were comfy (and could lean back!) and there
was plenty of space for everybody to stretch.
Normal trains see so many passengers, it's often a disgusting crowded mess inside of them. Bullet trains are much more expensive (about $130+ for a one way trip) and you get assigned seating, so I imagine that they don't have as many passengers trampling in and out all day long. The shinkansen was an overall incredibly positive experience, and considering the vastness of the US I have no clue why we haven't adopted this technology. Add the shinkansen to the list of things Japan has that the US needs.
Oh, and the bullet train also had a trolley of snacks that passed through the main cabin about halfway through the trip. Now there's something you won't find on the subway.
Normal trains see so many passengers, it's often a disgusting crowded mess inside of them. Bullet trains are much more expensive (about $130+ for a one way trip) and you get assigned seating, so I imagine that they don't have as many passengers trampling in and out all day long. The shinkansen was an overall incredibly positive experience, and considering the vastness of the US I have no clue why we haven't adopted this technology. Add the shinkansen to the list of things Japan has that the US needs.
Oh, and the bullet train also had a trolley of snacks that passed through the main cabin about halfway through the trip. Now there's something you won't find on the subway.
We arrived in Osaka and boarded another bus to take us to our next
destination. On the way, I digested the sights of Osaka. It was very much unlike Tokyo. There were many refineries, factories and shipping
docks. The overall color temperature was a dull gray, which somewhat reeked of
sameness and conformity. Osaka
certainly didn't feel appealing to me on my first day there. I wonder if other
tourists felt the same way? Our first stop was lunch. And hoo-boy, here's where culture
shock hit some of the members of our group pretty hard. On the menu today was
takoyaki, or in other words, octopus.
We were served octopus in two forms. One was takoyaki, a battered ball shaped food filled with octopus, tempura and ginger. The other was a bowl of rice peppered with bits of octopus meat and tentacles. That's right, there were suction cups in my food! I had a light breakfast, so at this point I was pretty hungry. I didn't care what was on my plate. As long as it was cooked and digestible I was going to eat it...and it was delicious! It tasted like a cross between chicken and fish. I dug into that rice bowl and ate those cephalopods with reckless abandon. The texture didn't bother me. In fact, I kind of played around with one of the suckers in my mouth and felt it up a little with my tongue. Its funny how once the plate-fright barrier is broken you end up playing with your food a little bit. By the end of the meal, there was no octopus left.
Some Kakehashi participants didn't share my sentiment. One of them didn't even touch it. I felt bad for her! She let plate-fright get the best of her, and missed out on a great meal. What's the point in traveling all the way to the other side of the world if you're not going to eat the local delicacies?
We were served octopus in two forms. One was takoyaki, a battered ball shaped food filled with octopus, tempura and ginger. The other was a bowl of rice peppered with bits of octopus meat and tentacles. That's right, there were suction cups in my food! I had a light breakfast, so at this point I was pretty hungry. I didn't care what was on my plate. As long as it was cooked and digestible I was going to eat it...and it was delicious! It tasted like a cross between chicken and fish. I dug into that rice bowl and ate those cephalopods with reckless abandon. The texture didn't bother me. In fact, I kind of played around with one of the suckers in my mouth and felt it up a little with my tongue. Its funny how once the plate-fright barrier is broken you end up playing with your food a little bit. By the end of the meal, there was no octopus left.
Some Kakehashi participants didn't share my sentiment. One of them didn't even touch it. I felt bad for her! She let plate-fright get the best of her, and missed out on a great meal. What's the point in traveling all the way to the other side of the world if you're not going to eat the local delicacies?
After lunch, it was time to take part in a traditional
Japanese tea-ceremony. These are regarded as a once in a lifetime opportunity.
To have legitimate homemade green tea prepared for you and served in a place of
Buddhist prayer that's over 450 years old was certainly an experience to
remember. Part of my desire to come to Japan was to seek out the serenity that
the makes Japanese culture unique, and a stark contrast to how we live and act
in America. I found that serenity today.
I wanted to be respectful. After all, the Japanese culture is based around respect and the tea ceremony is perhaps the most respectful activity you could ever hope to take part in. The ceremony itself took place in a small building located in the middle of a large Japanese garden park and manmade pond. The beauty here was breathtaking. The garden was full of exotic plants and flowers, with bonsai trees peppered throughout. The pond was huge, and in some places turned into a small stream that flowed to other parts of the garden.
Entering the building, we began by removing our shoes and finding a place to sit. It was hot. A thin layer of sweat began to form on my forehead. The room had no furniture. We were instructed to sit on the floor. I sat with perfect posture and breathed deeply, taking in the surrounding environment. I closed my eyes and let the sounds of the garden outside and the smell of tea inside calm my nerves. We were shown the proper way to go through the ceremony. There were many particular steps we needed to take in order to complete it. Offending our hosts was the last thing I wanted to do, so I listened carefully. It wasn't very difficult, and the tea was delicious. It was warm and foamy. Trickling down my throat, it was almost like it melted away all my worries.
The severe stillness that took over me was a welcomed change of pace from the bustle of the USA and helped me forget some of the worries that clung to me after leaving the States. Credit card debt? Nah. Car payments? Forget about it! Working two jobs and barely making enough to get by? Fuck that shit! I could get used to this.
When the ceremony was completed we toured the garden. It was so big and beautiful. A quiet wind rustled through the trees. The sound of the stream acted as a reassuring security. I think I took more pictures here than I had on the whole trip up to this point.
Is it too late to become a Buddhist?
I wanted to be respectful. After all, the Japanese culture is based around respect and the tea ceremony is perhaps the most respectful activity you could ever hope to take part in. The ceremony itself took place in a small building located in the middle of a large Japanese garden park and manmade pond. The beauty here was breathtaking. The garden was full of exotic plants and flowers, with bonsai trees peppered throughout. The pond was huge, and in some places turned into a small stream that flowed to other parts of the garden.
Entering the building, we began by removing our shoes and finding a place to sit. It was hot. A thin layer of sweat began to form on my forehead. The room had no furniture. We were instructed to sit on the floor. I sat with perfect posture and breathed deeply, taking in the surrounding environment. I closed my eyes and let the sounds of the garden outside and the smell of tea inside calm my nerves. We were shown the proper way to go through the ceremony. There were many particular steps we needed to take in order to complete it. Offending our hosts was the last thing I wanted to do, so I listened carefully. It wasn't very difficult, and the tea was delicious. It was warm and foamy. Trickling down my throat, it was almost like it melted away all my worries.
The severe stillness that took over me was a welcomed change of pace from the bustle of the USA and helped me forget some of the worries that clung to me after leaving the States. Credit card debt? Nah. Car payments? Forget about it! Working two jobs and barely making enough to get by? Fuck that shit! I could get used to this.
When the ceremony was completed we toured the garden. It was so big and beautiful. A quiet wind rustled through the trees. The sound of the stream acted as a reassuring security. I think I took more pictures here than I had on the whole trip up to this point.
Is it too late to become a Buddhist?
Next up on our itinerary was the Emperor's Tomb. The area surrounding the garden where we had the tea ceremony was an historical preserve of sorts. Called 'Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun' or the 'Ancient Tumulus Clusters', Kofun is a collective term for the tombs with burial mounds that were built in the late 3rd century. The area was calm and serene, but I don't think it instills the sense of awe in tourists that the World Cultural Heritage for Osaka wants.
On paper 'The World's Largest Tomb' sounds incredibly interesting, but in reality is a little disappointing. Its the size of a mountain, but unfortunately also looks like a mountain. In fact, when I saw the tomb on our way in I thought it was a mountain. The area surrounding the tomb is so grown in by trees and vegetation one can't even tell there's an emperor that died 400 years ago buried deep within. That was kind of creepy. On our way back to the bus, we stopped at some toilets and vending machines. While relieving myself I couldn't help think about the fact that the emperor is still there, most likely a pile of dust by now...but still there regardless.
I think the fact that we couldn't visit the tomb fed my disappointment. You see, it's surrounded by three moats and I'm sure having tourists walk up and down the 18th emperor's final resting place wouldn't be appropriate. Loading up the top of the mountain with gift shops and vending machines probably isn't the most respectful thing in the world. From the air, the tomb is incredibly impressive, but seeing the tomb from a distance on the ground wasn't very exciting. Still, I'm glad we had a chance to visit. Frankly I didn't even know this place existed. When it comes to the tombs of powerful leaders, the pyramids of Egypt take the cake. I'm sorry Japan, but you just can't compete with them. Yes the tomb is an achievement, but it lacks the zazz necessary to pull in onlookers from around the world.
I agree about the tomb. Tourists wouldn't have much to look at unless they could go inside. They're going to have to open all those tombs to the public. Joe let's go tomb-hopping!
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