Land of the Rising Sun
I touched down in the Land of the Rising Sun in the late afternoon, just as it seemed ready to set. The flyover approach showed off Osaka as a massive sprawling city halted only by the coastline. The 12 hour flight from Auckland should’ve tired me but instead I was wide awake in anticipation of the new.
Tourist Information comforted me by speaking a little English and directing me to the train ticketing machines. For a moment I stood there beaten, each Hiragana button seeming as likely as the next to deliver me the correct ticket. Help came in a smiling Japanese girl who spoke as much English as I did Japanese but who understood I wanted to go to Nagai and got me on my way. (Could someone in Auckland please help 1 lost Japanese tomorrow to repay the favour and boost our Karma?)
Leaving the man-made Island airport (another sign of development pushed beyond city limits) I reached for my phrasebook (thanks to the good people at Ads for that) and learnt my first new word – ‘Sumimasen’. I have a feeling I’ll be saying ‘excuse me’ and pointing and acting a lot. My guesthouse, check this, is on the upper floors of Nagai stadium http://www.cerezo.co.jp/english/stadium.html home to Cerezo Osaka FC. With a prompting that shoes are to be taken off at the door I took my dorm key, got refreshed and took a walk around the suburban streets.
Hungry, I stumbled into a small restaurant, the archetypical kind with lanterns and sliding doors, and took a seat. I told the one chef I couldn’t speak Nihongo but with some helpful pointing I chose the fish next to the plate of tentacles. With that little mission accomplished I sat back and watched the ninja / samurai flick playing in the background and reflected on my new beginnings. The other new NOVA recruits aren’t arriving for another day (I found a much cheaper flight). Tomorrow is for exploring…
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