AM20: The Japan Journals

Day 50

May 20th

A new week has dawned here in Sado and based on the geographical knowledge of my surroundings (and common sense), it appears that I'm heading back to the mainland this week. To prepare for an early ferry ride, I purchased a ticket days ago. Much to the DZed's dismay, it's going to have to go back into a shuttered cargo dock as we sail across the sea.

Before leaving Ogi, Rizumu presented me with a gift. Quite frankly, I was a bit surprised by this gesture. Staying at her place for the last week was enough of a gift. Despite that, I didn't want to be rude and reject her wishes. She was kind enough to give me an "Omamori", which is an amulet that is said to promote good fortune to the carrier.

She told me it's a popular "good luck charm", as both Shinto and Buddhist places of worship often carry such tokens for their visitors. I tied the Omamori around the handlebars and bestowed its fortunes upon my battle-worn bike. I bid adieu to Rizumu and thanked her for everything she's done for me this past week. While waiting for the ferry ride, I opened your envelope for this leg of the trip.

Ayden,

I hope you enjoyed a fantastic week on Sado. I have a hard time imagining you not getting along with Rizumu, as she's an artist (in every sense of the word). The plan for you this week is to head to the Kansai region, which is known for housing former capital cities and some of the best cuisines that you'll find anywhere.

As a matter of fact, many people consider the city of Osaka to be one of the best in the world for food. Just wait until you try the street food there, you'll see why ;). As for your Hachimaki, the band for this week is a rich shade of... Brown.....

It's not the most glamorous color, but like the area it represents, much of the country's history is rooted here and allowed the rest of us to grow from it. Oh, one last thing. I set up a meeting for you in Osaka. I'll provide details in a text but leave May 23rd open for a special encounter ;)

Have fun and I'll see you soon!

-Setsuko

I can't help but think about something inappropriate when you say "special encounter". Let's just say that your closing sentence left a bigger stink on my conscience than the brown headband. I have no idea what the hell you're referring to, but I'm going to hope it's something awesome.

This looked to be a long travel day, as the few hours on the ferry is only the tune-up for the 6-hour ride from Niigata to Osaka. As I watch the ferry cut through the water, I can't help but try to decode this meeting in a few days. I just spent a week immersed in music, so I can't imagine that trend continuing. Despite the structured itineraries, you've found a way to throw some curveballs at me during this trip.

To save time (and boring exposition), the hours crawled throughout today. The rigid ferry ride was only the first stop, as I proceeded to spend hours on the DZed, crossing the Japanese countryside. Much of this territory is familiar, as it's similar roads that I've crossed before. The only thing that's changed is the inherent cultural spin I'm about to receive.

By the early evening hours, I rolled into the outskirts of Osaka and quickly saw why this city is the "cool little brother" to Tokyo. The neon, ever blinding structures are present, but the landscape is something far different than Tokyo. There's a canal that cuts right through the city, providing it with its biggest attraction. To be specific, there's a famous stretch along the river that is a microcosm for everything popular about Japanese culture. That area is known as "Dotonbori".

Here, you can see the array of oversized, neon advertisements, ferry rides, hundreds of restaurants/street vendors, and of course, plenty of nightlife to entertain you. This neighborhood feels like somebody shrunk Shinjuku and placed it alongside a river. Because of its rambunctious energy and culture, I decided to find a nearby capsule hotel to stay in. This will be my base of operations for the week, as this place is the loud compliment to Sado's serenity.

As I unpacked the DZed, I couldn't help but notice the abundance of businessmen "gathering" women outside nearby hotels. Without saying any more, I'm sure you can understand where I'm going with this. One thing that became clear as I rolled into Dotonbori was its obvious amount of love hotels.

I'm sure there's a hotel for every flavor you could be craving here, as an endless flow of intoxicated "salarymen" stumbled into these things with their favorite women of the night. As tempting as this area is, I don't think I'm going to find myself spooning with one of these locals. Even if I did, my frugal ass is not going to get me far in those negotiations lol.

Speaking of flavor, it became increasingly difficult to select something for dinner here. As you alluded to, Osaka is a mecca for all things Japanese cuisine. Every kind of dish you can imagine can be found, in this very neighborhood. I must have spent a few hours wandering around, just waiting for the right scent to hit my nose. I finally passed by a Takoyaki stand and relented.

Let me just say this right now, I'm not a fan of seafood. On top of that, I'm DEFINITELY not a fan of Octopus (or Squid). I don't have enough typeface to describe what I don't like about these creepy creatures but through my research, I've learned that Octopus/Squid is engrained in Japanese cuisine. To be blunt, I know it's impossible to avoid these creatures in my food, while I'm here.

Upon glancing over this popular food stand, I decided to overcome my irrational fears of these creatures and give Takoyaki a try. For the uninformed, Takoyaki is essentially bits of octopus tentacles cooked in a batter. It kind of reminds me of a mini corn dog, except you're chewing on a tentacle. Even typing that makes me want to gag.

Despite that, I ordered a tray of Takoyaki (6, in all) and bit into a gigantic fear. My tastebuds immediately felt the heat from the batter, as the steaming ball of matter steams through my gums. Call me naive, but I noticed from watching others eat that this isn't a food you "nibble". You have to eat each ball (haha) at a time and hope that you don't burn your mouth.

The taste wasn't too bad. The vendor recommended that I use mayo and "seaweed flakes" as condiments, but I opted to try the dry balls for this first outing. The texture of the tentacles were chewy, sometimes sticky. It actually turned out to be a decent meal, as the 6 piece was more filling than anticipated and my fear of Octopus (Octopi?) is seemingly put to bed.

I finished the evening strolling down the Dotonbori Canal, enjoying the sights and local music. Maybe the most iconic part of this neighborhood is the infamous "Glico Man". This gigantic wall of light portrays a running man, with his arms proudly raised. I don't know what the significance of this piece (and why they need a multi-storied light display dedicated to him) but it's obvious that the city is proud of this running man.

While I glance at these oversized ads, a local duo of street musicians is giving me a free soundtrack for the evening. The duo is jazz-based, as there's little structure of form to what they're playing. Aside from the occasional request, these two appear to be jamming into the night, with no thought about what's coming next. One of them is playing Saxophone, while the other is playing the Trombone.

I can't recall a time when I've seen a pairing of those instruments as a duo, but they have a rapport that runs deep. I don't think I prefer their brassy, wooden tones to the thundering beats of the Kodo group, but it was a cool signal that I have arrived in a different ethos for the week.

With that, the jazzy tones of that duo ring in my ears until I hit the hay. A long day of travel and hot balls have worked up quite the fatigue. I haven't decided what I'm doing tomorrow, but from looking at the itinerary, it looks like I have plenty of fun options to pursue. I just can't help but wonder what you have planned for me on the 23rd. Knowing you, I should expect something sporadic (and awesome).

Thanks again and I'll see you soon!

-Ayden