Today, I felt sick again. Maybe it’s the hay fever, maybe it’s my teaching schedule, maybe it’s all the new things that have been happening in my life recently… but I have been exhausted almost every day. I decided to go to Osaka anyway. Some things have been happening in my life recently, and I think that I could be leaving Japan even earlier than planned. So I felt a little more motivated to force myself out the door. I’m glad I did. Although I felt a little horrible at the start, I went to a café. My headache eased a little. Then I began to walk.
I walked all the way to Dotonbori, the famous nightlife district with lots of street food and shopping along the canal. I was still a little sick at this point, so even though the vivid colours were pretty I didn’t feel hungry, so I just walked through and enjoyed the sights and sounds. I decided that I would come back in the evening one time, and enjoy the food. I have to admit, I started to wonder whether it was a good idea for me to come to Osaka. I watched the bus loads of tourists rolling their suitcases, the influencers walking around like hawks with their cameras, and the ordinary travellers taking photos in front of the infamous running man. Ordinary travellers. What was I?
The last time I was in Japan was in 2019. I realised that I was an entirely different person at that time, with a very different life. I was not travelling solo, I was living in Singapore and I had very different interests. I liked to go out to bars and restaurants, I had a big appetite and a large capacity for alcohol, I travelled with someone who was quite organised and often planned where to go. I don’t have any of those things at this point in my life. No wonder I was not really feeling it… I did not seek the same things from Japan as I did when I was 5 years younger. I went to a vending machine and bought myself a coke, something I always get when I have a stomach ache… and I started thinking.
I decided to do something a little crazy, and walk in the afternoon sun towards Osaka Castle. Luckily in Japan there are vending machines with drinks everywhere, so there was no chance that I would be dehydrated. Especially since all the drinks were barely 1 dollar. As I walked the more ordinary streets, I started to feel myself again. This is what I liked about travelling. Walking the streets, seeing the ordinary aspects of life. It’s amazing that I often panic at the thought of spending my time roaming the streets, maybe it’s because I am sharing my adventures with others these days through my blog. I worry that this is too boring… but how could it be? I noticed that people in Osaka are not like people in Tokyo at all. For one thing, they’re a bit louder and more social. I had noticed it in the little town in which I live, but in the centre of the city it was quite obvious.
For example, the people here jay walk all the time. In fact today I saw a girl crossing the street, making a van (who had the right of way) wait for her. This is something I see in France every day, but I had never seen in Japan before. The driver sounded his horn at the girl crossing the street but she kept her gaze towards her phone and didn’t bother to increase her walking speed. The driver gave her one of those typical stares that I also normally see in France. I noticed the rubbish bags lining the road, the stains on the floor outside of restaurants and pubs… so there are normal people in Japan after all. It sounds so ridiculous, I know, but it was a breath of fresh air. I saw friends parting at a cross walk, they bowed and then stopped half way along the crossing to continue the conversation for a little longer at a louder volume. I noticed a little girl riding at the back of her mother’s bicycle, laughing and pointing at the road, appearing completely relaxed. It made me smile.
It was a long walk to the castle. A newspaper delivery man joined me for part of the way, or rather I joined him, as he took his regular route. A little scooter filled with a basket of newspapers at the front, stopping and starting, walking inside with his little white helmet still on and dropping off each perfectly folded paper. Finally I reached the castle, and saw tourists again. I am one of them, but I thought about it differently this time. Even there, I could observe little moments of life if I so choose to. The locals enjoy touristic aspects of their hometown, just as much as foreigners. A group of friends exercising together, a teacher and student playing drums, dancers twirling and waving their arms to music in the castle gardens.
I felt that this part of Japan is both international and connected with its heritage. It reminded me of my time in Taiwan earlier in the year. Osaka was a little bit rough around the edges, a little bit lively, a little bit… of a feeling of letting go. Indeed, much of Japan’s history is born from Chinese history so it is no surprise that I am seeing some parallels here. Maybe all the stereotypes about the Japanese are based on its capital city, or the Kanto region. A region that was ruled by the military elite, the Shoguns. Compared to the Kansai region which houses a trading port run by merchants, and was once home to Japan’s old royal capital.
It always amazes me, how easily I forget and how pleasant it is to remember, that an opportunity to enrich your life through travel is everywhere. You need not discover some hidden beauty, or run away from the tourists traps… you just need to walk your own path, and make your own observations, and carry those things with you like little treasures.
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