Osaka

Dearest Rachel –

So tomorrow is our last stop in Japan (and to think, I still have ¥10,000 in cash to get rid of – never mind the coins – I’d best find something to blow it on), and I need to do this latest destination at least a little bit of justice, seeing as it’s a place I haven’t exactly been. I have to qualify that, because while I’ve never stayed there, our class did visit the place; specifically, to visit a former classmate (and, if I remember correctly, a fraternity brother) of one of our professors, who was at the time the chairman of Mizuno Sports, Ltd.

And, of course, we (by which I mean Daniel and I) have gone through it, en route from Kobe to Kyoto via shinkansen bullet train just last year. Although where Kobe ended and Osaka began rather puzzled us, as the megalopolis that extends from Kobe to Kyoto does so almost without letup. While the locals seem to know the difference between a native of one city or the other (and there isn’t the kind of mobility between cities that we have in America, which tends to homogenize us more than it does people in other countries, like Japan for instance), those differences aren’t inherently obvious to you or me.

Still, let’s face it; when we would refer to Osaka, we generally wouldn’t be thinking of the city, or even the prefecture it’s part (and the capital) of. Nope, we would be thinking of this fictional former resident of the place (and even then, she at first insisted that she’d come from suburban Wakayama, rather than Osaka proper, but her classmates wouldn’t listen) from Azumanga Daioh:

Equally ironic is that she doesn’t even behave like the stereotypical Osakan native – at least, according to her new schoolmates (Tokyoites all, and therefore obviously well-acquainted to what people from other places ought to be like – that was sarcasm, by the way). Oh, she’s got a (unintentional) gift for comedy, but it’s not the typical manzai comedy that the city is known for (and to be fair, that requires a two-man team; an idiot character and a straight man to “correct” the idiot, often with slapstick violence), but rather a ditzy sort of out-of-left-field approach to things, and life in general. So I guess she’s something of an idiot character looking for her straight man (who she kind of finds in Chiyo-chan, who’s too sweet – and too small – to bop Osaka when she goes off the rails).

Speaking of going off the rails… just because Kasuga is who we think of when we hear the name doesn’t let me off the hook when it comes to describing the city of Osaka. The third largest city in Japan (which, between that and the “Second City” school of comedy we boast about, makes them very much like Japan’s version of Chicago to Tokyo’s New York) is believed to be the place where the first inhabitants of Japan settled during the Jomon period thousands of years B.C., due to the favorable geological conditions, abundant fresh water and lush vegetation, as well as the fact that it was defensible against military attack. At the time, much of what would become Osaka was underwater, with a single 12 kilometer long, 2½ kilometer wide peninsula jutting into the Seto Inland Sea, but over the course of centuries, the bay to the north of this peninsula began to fill in, becoming first a lagoon, then a swamp, and finally, the alluvial plain upon which most of modern Osaka is built upon.

To be sure, that modern Osaka served as a capital for the emperor at various times, including 645-655 A.D. and 744-745 A.D. However, its main characteristic was as a trading port, with its inhabitants gaining a reputation for financial dealings. Indeed, during the Edo period, when the local daimyos throughout the country were paid in rice by the shogun, Osaka was where the rice was often stored, with paper receipts to prove that the daimyo had the rights to a certain quantity of rice – in effect serving as one of the first forms of de facto paper money. A Rice Exchange was established in the Dōjima ward in 1697, becoming a prototypical central bank, and the world’s first futures market would also grow out of it to sell rice that was not yet harvested. Hence the Osakan reputation for shrewd financial dealing (although the flip side of that stereotype was that they were also expected to be tight with a yen, as well).

Now, as far as the excursion I’ve signed up for, that ancient peninsula I spoke of earlier, known as the Uemachi Plateau, still exists as the highest point in the city of Osaka (which makes sense, as it stood above the waters from the beginning). As such, this area would be the perfect place to put a watchtower and a castle, which is exactly what was done. Osaka Castle, built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi between 1583 and 1597, was meant as a headquarters for one of the great unifiers of Japan. What it eventually became was the scene of two separate sieges and the final battle between Toyotomi’s forces (now led by his son Hideyori) and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the man who would be shogun. Although Hideyori fought off Tokugawa (despite being outnumbered two-to-one) in 1614, the shogun’s forces returned the following year (incensed that Hideyori had the temerity to restore the moat Ieyasu had filled in before retreating) and ultimately routed the Toyotomi clan, thus becoming supreme leader of Japan.

However, not all of our time will be taken up by culture and history; after all, this is Osaka, and so there must be things to buy. The second part of our tour will involve the Dotonbori, an entertainment district within the Nanba ward. Known for both its nightclubs and restaurants, it’s the perfect place to grab some okonomiyaki or takoyaki (or, for the less locally adventurous, sushi or ramen), as well as shopping for gifts and souvenirs. While I feel like I have most of what I’ve been asked to look for sewn up, I do have money to get rid of, and this ought to be just where I need to be. Hopefully, I can fill you in (like Kawachi Bay) within the next couple of days as to how things went.

Until then, however, keep an eye on me, honey, and wish me luck. I’m going to need it.