Got established at the hotel - a small business hotel near the station with a warren of shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors and “girls’ clubs” surrounding it. Went for a recon mission to figure out the train stations, etc and had my first Osaka okonomayaki and modenyaki (moden meaning modern). The station is flanked by two massive department stores - Hanshin and Hankyu - who both run railway lines. Back to the hotel to check in and send Ryo on his way home. Met Haruo - professor at Kyoto Women’s University who stays at my place whenever he visits Salt Lake - and we went to a “German” beer hall for dinner with big steins of beer and weinerschnitzel. Went back to hotel exhausted.
The next day breakfasted at my hotel - viking style - and went for a little shopping. Finally found a Swatch store and got a new strap. I had been looking all over the world for one! Met with representatives of Doshisha University from Kyoto and discussed a possible program. They were very pleasant and immediately likeable.
Met Haruo again and he took me to visit his house - a nice Western/Japanese combo house which had been recently rebuilt. Japanese do not renovate, they rebuild. It was a quiet suburb of Osaka with a shopping area near the station. Then he took me to two of his favorite places - both small ma and pop holes in the wall with old friends who were owners. The first place had a chef who is very proud of his food and he made a series of wasabi influenced dishes knowing my love for the stuff. His wife noticed how well I used chopsticks and went on a tirade about how young people aren’t taught to use chopsticks correctly anymore. She even lit into one customer who she said was chopsticking incorrectly and pointing out that I was doing a better job than he was! Excellent beef in a wasabi mayo sauce, sashimi, lots of sake and Haruo buying bottles of beer for the owner and his wife to share while they cooked and served. Went off to the next place - even a smaller dive, but this one encrusted with American and Coca Cola kitsch. It was a okonomayaki place and we had oysters grilled at our table and some wine. This guy was also a character and had gone to junior high with Haruo - 40 years ago. His wife came in to help although there were no customers but us. She was Domi and she could speak English pretty well. Somehow managed to find my way home.
Next day -sightseeing with Haruo to Nara - one of the first capital cities in Japan where there is a large park with several hundred deer roving around and a huge Buddha and shrine. The deer were attacking anyone who fed them - kids on school trips were having their lunches stolen. The temple and Buddha are amazing - astonishing proportion and alignment in the building.
Then it was a dash to the station to get to: The Takarazuka revue! This is a bizarre form of entertainment devised by the owner of the Hankyu railway to get people to go to the end of the line at Takarazuka. It started in the 20‘s and it is a combination melodrama with music with a Las Vegas extravaganza tacked on the end and performed by an all-woman troupe. It was a huge theatre and 95% of the audience was female. They have crazy fans for this thing. It was opening ‘night’ - performance starts at 3:00pm - of a new production. It was supposed to take place in Ancient China and the sets, costumes and productions values were off the charts. There was a cast of 80 to 90. The story wasn’t too hard to follow - two friends who end up fighting for the kingdom with revenge, suicide, romance mixed in and songs and dance numbers. When the dramatic story ends, suddenly here comes the stage wide staircase and the dancing girls doing kick lines and the “men” doing Frank Sinatra impressions and a Fred and Ginger number all in glitter. THe disco ball is twirling and the crowd is applauding each new costume and song. Then the leading “man” comes out in this elaborate feather headress for the finale. Crazy! If you want to get a taste, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oceembeoj74&feature=related
