first day in Japan
After a super travel by plane lasted few hours, on 21/10/2004 we reached
Osaka. Welcomed at the airport by Masaki, our japanese friend, which led us to his house. The trip was quite long, partly because the airport of
Osaka is built on an artificial island few kilometres from the coast. Added to this, the "depressing" viability (a traffic light every 100 meters) made the trip longer than all our expectations (in an hour we couldn't do more than 40 kms). We went to dinner together with another Japanese friend, Abecian (SUN), in a classic restaurant.
The 22nd of october was devoted to the last vaccines that we have been recommended to take for our trip... we waited to arrive here in Japan because the cost is significantly lower to Italy. In return we made an abundant breakfast that cost us like half week in China!
Headed then towards the centre of Kyoto, we witnessed an historic parade... a kind of costumed revisiting of historical periods that characterized Japan since Heian to Meji period. This is one of the most important festivals held throughout the year... In fact, they were all committed, including elder people and children, not to disappoint the expectations of the large crowds arrived here to see the event.
In the evening we went to visit the temple of Kodaij completely illuminated with light effects throughout the immense garden... super!
But the most surprising thing of all day came in the evening, as we tried the onsen. To define it a spa is certainly simplistic, but the result is more or less that. Certainly for a Japanese this is not about vanity, but rather the culture of his body, a centuries-old tradition linked to shintoism.
The procedure for access inside the onsen is quite particular: first of all, as Japanese ritual teaches us, take off shoes, and secondly you must be completely naked (like mother made you) to get access in a Preliminary room reserved for the body cleaning. Only when completely cleaned, you can get access to the heart of the structure, made of a lot of tanks each with different temperatures and colors, saunas and everything else.
The 23rd was devoted to Masaki's family and in particular to his son Luca... the Italian name was not casual; on our behalft it was an attempt of family globalisation aimed to deepen the behaviours of this Japanese families!
At Sunday, as good Italians, we didn't lose the wonderful spectacle provided by the football game (of the wonderful and more than ever loved FC Internazionale) that also replaced an event (Hello Italy) dedicated to Italian cars organized with the support of the Italian Consulate. Exposition dedicated to all known and most envied car brands made in Italy (Ferrari and Alfa Romeo), which raced into the local circuit made available to the numerous public which could admire these jewels of truly Italian style and design!
If you haven't yet figured it, Japanese are crazy for everything that comes from our BELLA ITALIA !!!!! ME COJONI! (expression suggested us by a girl "de Frosinone" that is studying here in Japan).
Yesterday, the last day with 'o professore (the professor), has been dedicated to visit the
Osaka downtown. To be a Monday morning, the city seemed us partly asleep, certainly not frantic; our visit focused mainly on the pedestrian street devote to shopping and on those reserved for technologic devilries. After a long walk we arrived at the castle of
Osaka. We have admired it from the outside and then we direct in the characteristic "black city" that runs underground the main city. This visit shown us a new face of
Osaka, more active and close to the stereotype of a Japan in continuous movement.
Today was dedicated entirely to our last transfer in Tokyo (total lasting of the trip: 12 hours, in order to save several Yens) where we are expected from Miwako with his husband Aki and the baby Kantaro. Welcomed from a sumptuous dinner we finally could lie in something that could be defined a bed: a typical superb quality futon where we were able to recover the hours of sleep lost during the previous excursion in southern Japan.