A Walk Down the Memory Lane; Osaka 03/2012
During my March trip with illusion1825 to Japan, we visited the capital of Kansai, Osaka. We spent good 10 days in Osaka with daily trips to Kobe, Nara and Kyoto (but more about that some other time perhaps~).
We were couch surfing few days then moved to hostel for a few days. Anyway not so many drunken nights in Osaka as there was in Tokyo, but the very first night in Osaka our host took us out and we got wasted, almost got lost in the maze that Namba ward is but managed to find each other fast.
Next day it was Sadie's anniversary live in Big Cat and I really regret getting wasted a night before because this was the hottest live I've ever been to. I don't know if it's only Sadie fans or this apply to whole Kansai but every single person in that venue was doing furi and head banging, it was AMAZING seeing fans so devoted to a live and seeing hair flying all over the place when they head banged. After few intro songs we both forced our selves to head band and a good hour an hour latter when we were feeling fine and dandy and just had fun. Live was really long 37 songs plus one song encore and I loved every minute of it. Sadie were really into it, Mizuki bouncing off the walls, Mao's cute dances and even Aki came forward a lot, Kei and Tsurugi both looked like they had fun, but I didn't really saw them being on Mizuki's side and all. At the end of the live each fan got this really cute key chain as a present (just realized I never wrote an actual live report for this live...)
Next few days we spent to explore Osaka and I really like it, I still prefer Tokyo, but probably only because Osaka seems like it got stuck in the time when Osaka was number one city for new trends, businesses etc. Of course there are skyscrapers in Umeda ward and new buildings but not in the same amount as in Tokyo.
Namba, Dotonbori bridge Osaka tower Osaka from ferries wheel
Osaka castle Plum garden Umeda
One reason why I love Osaka was because of people (and that can apply to all Kansai). Osaka being more southern city people are way more open and approachable. You won't experience a quiet metro or JR ride, because people in contrast to Tokyo talk on the trains, eat, drink in generally do everything you are expected not to do in Tokyo. Looking at it whole, it makes them less robotic that Tokyo people.
Being a foreign in Osaka, you can expect every person who know at least one English word will say hello to you, from high school students trying to get attention by saying hamburger, to older people. Once when we were exploring the are around Osaka tower, an middle aged man was doing it's businesses in the bushes and still said hello to us (you can imagine it was awkward, but it's Osaka and stuff like that happen xD). And one time on the register in Don Quixote a man behind us started a conversation with us, how he would like to marry an European women with good genes (he did apologize after wards if he had frightened us). Similar things were happening to us trough our stay in Osaka, but really some weirdness aside Osaka people are really nice. And for me a perfect city would be Tokyo with Osaka people xD.
But Osaka has a special place in my heart because of aprox. 10 minutes I've spent with Kouhei and life was just right and perfect for that time. I met Kouhei in a bar where we were drinking with our couch surfing host, 2 days before we returned to Tokyo. He was the most gorgeous Japanese man I have ever met (minus Aoi, but I've never met Aoi), he was taller than me (I'm about 1.80cm) had really nice long black hair, 3 tongue piercings and such beautiful smile and tho he covered his smile because he was shy. We really didn't get to talk much because he had to go to work (he's a bar tender in karaoke bar), but in that 10 minutes we really hit it off. Before he went to work he asked for my email address and we exchange them and then he petted my head, said he will be waiting for my email, smiled and went to work. And I was in love. I'd love to show you his pictures but not me or my friend remembered we had a camera with us (I blame the alcohol). He did emailed me the next day, but because I couldn't replay because his phone didn't allow non mobile emails. We only got our email trough when I've already returned to Tokyo with a help of a friend, but after I came back to Europe it seems like emails won't go trough...
Here you have it, a small glimpse of my trip, there will be at least one more about host club. Wait for it né (^_^)
I've done this because I need to motivate myself to get trough this year of uni after loosing scholarship (more about it HERE ). I apologize for any spelling or grammatical mistakes.