大阪

The Kanji reads: Osaka.

I had a week off from my summer jarb, so I decided to get the hell out of Tokyo. It's awesome living in a metropolis but, I needed a break from all of the cramped city air, smog, and the kawaii-ness that makes Tokyo Tokyo. In a nutshell, a change of scenery.

I left on Monday night, going by way of the bullet train (shinkansen) (\25000) . I arrived in Shin-Osaka after a few hours. I brought manga and a book to read, but I forgot how cool it was to look out at the landscape of Japan from last time I was here.

I stayed at not a hostel or a hotel but an internet cafe called Media Cafe Popeye. In an Internet cafe, you pay for the amount of time you wish to stay (10 hours max), you get your own quarters with a computer and a TV. Surrounding the cafe are manga shelves. They offer food, drinks, and a shower. An internet junkies paradise.

I woke up at 6 and decided to explore Osaka city, I walked around with a keen, open mind. In Tokyo, there's lights and displays galore, in Osaka, there's not so much... way less commercial. I had come into contact with a guy who is a part of the same martial arts foundation that I had learned back in the states a couple of months before I came to Japan. I told him that I was in Osaka for a couple days and I that I would like to check his gym.

One of his many gyms is in Miyakojima, and he calls it TSD (Total Self Discovery) Kali. The man's name is Takashi Uchino and I guess he is a really big deal. I went in and had a nice long discussion with him about martial arts in general, people he knows (big names), and his own personal "twist" that he puts on these martial arts that I've learned. His staff brought me green tea and coffee too, which was awesome. He puts on live shows that are similar to rock concerts with audience involvement.

I began to tell him bits and pieces of my story behind why I came to Japan and why I trained in the martial arts and he was fascinated to say the least. He told me why he began in the martial arts; hidden within those words he told me were a very deep message, and I'd share that, but I feel that it was just for me, and no one else. I left his gym clear head; I was hoping to leave TSD Kali with aching muscles and re-understanding of the styles that I learned, but instead I got a reality check, and that was far more rewarding then shedding a few calories. I had just met the guy, but I felt like I've known him for years.

After meeting with Takashi, I went to Osaka castle and chilled around the exterior. I didn't go in, but looking back I should have, because I remember that a real cutie works the elevator lol. I walked around the exterior, and looked out at the magnificent view of Osaka, I could see mountains, and that definitely reminded me of home.

At the front entrance, I got tired and took a nap outside on a stone bench. Feeling quasi-refreshed, I decided to walk through the city in search of Osaka station rather than take a 7 minute train ride. On my way back, I had encountered the headquarters of one of my favorite video game companies: CAPCOM.

Couldn't resist.

I continued onward, and got tired. I crashed at another internet cafe. In the morning I got up and wanted to go to Nara and feed the deer (more on that later), but it was too far away. It was 8 AM and my train back to Tokyo was at noon. So I hung out at an arcade and played some games. I'm getting pretty good at Mahjong FYI.


I was almost sad to leave Osaka, not because of my encounter with Takashi-Sensei, but I felt a connection while being there. I miss my hometown, I miss the salty stench of the air, the vast forests and the hills, Osaka has all those, plus a bunch of awesome, smily people who are kind to the gaijins. Honestly, I prefer it much more than Tokyo, I found out recently that there is a Temple University Osaka branch... I'd much rather go there, but it's for people who are getting masters degrees in business. If I graduate early, I might use the remaining months I have on my passport there.
I might go back in October, Takashi wants me to check out his show!

I'm not exactly the kind of guy who takes lots of photos in case ya didn't notice. If you want to see more photos on here, vent about it in that box over there---------->