Reflections

I am sure that there have been a lot of changes to my beloved Osaka since I lived there 15 years ago.  But since moving to Tokyo, I am shocked by the differences of the two cities.  Tokyo and Osaka are the two largest cities in this country.  Not that I would really expect them to be the same, but some of the major differences are huge to me.

First, the diversity in Tokyo is shocking.  Coming from the US, a country full of immigrants, diversity is comforting to me.  Everywhere I go in Tokyo (which isn't very far), I see people from all over the world.  I hear lots of different languages on a daily basis.  I am amazed by this because I would go an entire week, sometimes two, in Osaka without seeing another foreigner other than the four American teachers I had meetings with every other week.  Technically, I lived just outside of Osaka in the suburb of Yao, but was in Osaka a couple times a week.  Sometimes I would go to the major tourist attractions and not see any non-Asian faces.  I remember the excitement of seeing another foreigner.  What were they doing in Japan?  Were they passing through or here to stay for a while?  Despite being full of curiosity, I didn't approach them.  That would be weird.  After all, I had people approach me all the time with comments,  questions, yearning to speak English, and sometimes even unwanted touching - because I was a foreigner pure and simple.  But Tokyo is shockingly diverse.  I wonder if it is just the area I am currently living in.  Time will tell since we will be leaving downtown for suburbia before October 17. 

Second, the food is so international.  I think my first revelation has a lot to do with this one, but it is still pretty interesting to me.  In Osaka, a town known as the food capitol of Japan, you're pretty much surrounded by Japanese food and Osakan food at that.  There are options.  I loved the Indian food I could get there.  My neighbor and I had a favorite Mexican place in downtown Osaka that really was a hole in the wall with amazing food.  Oh, and lots of burgers that never really satisfied the burger hunger because they really weren't that good, and pasta places with really weird concoctions.  But other than that, lots and lots of Japanese food.  Maybe my memory serves me wrong or my limited language skills didn't allow for me to venture out as much.  I would say that the international food is helping with the transition a bit, but, oh what I would do for my neighbor's homemade tortillas and amazing Mexican food right now...  Or Greek food...  Holy moly, I need to change the subject!

Third, Tokyo is beautiful compared to Osaka.  I used to complain about how ugly Osaka was - very little green space and tons of grey cement everywhere.  After I had lived there for a while, I learned how to seek out and see the beauty it offered, but it still isn't what most people think of when they think of how beautiful Japan is.  When my mother visited, she was working for a travel agency and she printed out the IATAN report (a report for travel agents that gives them the low down of a city).  I will always remember the first line from that report.  "Osaka is the ugliest city in Japan, filled with cement buildings and power lines."  When she showed it to me, I laughed so hard because I had been saying that very thing for months.  Osaka has a lot to offer, but aesthetics isn't on that list.  But Tokyo... Tokyo is full of trees and fascinating architecture and fun little additions that bring beauty.  I know this is just though my glasses (I am from Seattle and nature just makes me happy), and maybe I'll feel differently once I've been here for a while.  But right now, I am appreciating the beauty I find.

I'm not saying I like Tokyo more than Osaka.  It's just different and new to me.  There are a lot of things I miss from Osaka.  Mainly, Osaka feels like my Japanese home and I feel like I'm visiting Tokyo.  With time, I will get more comfortable and used to the differences.  Maybe at some point, I'll even stop comparing them.