Category: Japan Living

cFebruary 18, 2017

Dear Virtual Diary,

“The crowd follows one big ploy/I don’t follow the crowd you can me Big Boi…”

Today was an interesting day. When I returned home after finishing today’s errands, it dawned on me that I didn’t have one conversation today. In fact, the only instances I had actually spoken words were when I spoke to sales folks working in the convenience store or coffee shops I had visited. This hit me when I was unlocking the apartment door and remembered that my brother would not be home waiting for me.

I think having my brother staying with me these past two months lead to this early evening revelation. While warming up dinner I pondered whether or not I should let not having a conversation, on this long drawn out Saturday, bother me. Let me just preface this with saying that being out here gives me nothing but time to do introspective analysis on my introspective analyses. In truth, I thought it was a good topic to write about because on a whole I would say that while living in Japan I have spent more time reading and writing than conversing. One of the main factors being that I live in a low populated area where most people are double my age. Also, I don’t talk too much at my schools and usually come right home after to my fortress of soulitude. If I am not practicing dribbling in the driveway I am cleaning my apartment or studying something.

This morning I walked to the beach and sat in the sand and just thought about how the mountains in front of me were created. Now, I am the type of person to clown this type of thought process and believe me I make fun of myself all the time for doing things like this, but let me just say that that morning was incredibly enjoyable. In that moment, I think the normative aspects of my previous life, in the land of maple syrup, were completely null and void. No gossip, insecurities, bravado, wants, hopes, happiness, disappointment just some mountains and a whole lot of water.

I am starting to think that I am collecting much of the evidence that can help provide an suitable answer to that timeless question of “What is life?”. Living in Japan to me is like living in some kind of alternate universe where many of the aspects of life from back home are stripped from my cerebral and both my mind and vision is much sharper and function without the constant blizzard of white noise I experienced back home.

Just look at the photo…Anyone that just sits and stares is bound to feel calm.

February 15&17, 2017

Dear Virtual Diary,

Well…My brother comes for two months and I basically stop writing and reading, and start partying and drinking. He left today and I am right back to where I was before he arrived, sitting in front of the computer writing. Having Dane here was satisfying in many ways. It was great to have another family member and good friend waiting for me everyday after work. It was especially enjoyable to have someone clean up besides me. Watching Dane absorb and experience Japan at the same age I did, on my first trip to Japan, was an experience I am proud to be a part of. Also, I have to admit that I miss him already and hope he returns to this little island and I.

We both participated in a basketball tournament in the town on the mainland Hiro (広)

and I was utterly disgusted with my gameplay. I wasn’t overly impressed with the teams there, but there was one team that had its shit together and we got hammered 31-59. I underestimated the stamina needed for these few games and used too much during the first game. By the second game I was running on fumes.

Currently, the team sits at 1-1 and we have a couple more games in March. From here on in I am making sure to touch a basketball everyday.  I have even asked my elementary schools if it is okay to use the gym to dribble after school. Two things I need to work on is finishing baskets in the paint and my ball handling skills. I have 3 weeks until the tournament resumes and figure if I practice 5 days out of the week I must get some kind of improvement, no?

I have added some of that shitty game down below as I need the world to witness my embarrassing performance.

Dear Virtual Diary,

“I’ll do it in Osaka or maybe Yokohama or even Okayama/I just want some f’in peace”

Writing this entry, a bit late, but better late than never as they say. Osaka was as it always is and will always be a complete bundle of surging energy that powers sleepless nights.
I finally got to show Dane one of the main reasons I fell in love with Japan. Flying into the Kanto region (Tokyo Area) is where I got my first taste of Japanese life and culture. Arriving in the Kansai region (Osaka Area) the little understanding I had of Japanese culture, at that time, was shattered.

Osaka, in my opinion, IS the artistic core of Japan. Tokyo may be where all the business goes down, but the underground is alive, well and pulsating in Osaka.

The countless artisans, counter culture and overall talented folks I have met proves to me that Osaka is indeed a special place, in this wide spread world. In Osaka it seems like there are the most interesting people there, and most are willing to share a beer as well as their story with you.

Dane and I stayed in the Dōbutsuen-mae area, which is probably the dirtiest place in all of Japan, but also the cheapest option for staying in Osaka. It is also the only place in Japan, I have been, that homeless people stand out so tremendously.

I was able to show Dane spots in Osaka I stayed and visited on my first trip. The bright neon lights of Dontonbori, the American cultured out Amerikamura, the stoic seriousness of salarymen and women of Yodabashi as well as great eats in Nippombashi. This resulted in getting little to no sleep and having to sleep on the Shinkansen back home…At least I think that is what my place has turned into.

Slowly over the last few years I have noticed an increase in foreigners working in the Osaka. Returning to Dōbutsuen-mae this year, I wasn’t even handled by a Japanese person at my hostel, which is a pretty rare occasion. The people were Korean, still Asian but it was still pretty surprising to see. After all I think Japan is about 99% Japanese or something like that.

We were able to catch a few shows in Osaka as well. My friends, from my show in December (My event in Nippombashi), were at an event and I was able meet up and introduce them to Dane. And we had an amazing time drinking and listening to reggae and hip hop. The jam was full of all Japanese reggae artists. I have to admit that anytime I see Japanese people perform reggae, more often than not I am impressed. Most of them seem to not only have a good grasp on the cadence and nuance, but also really captures the spirt of the musical genre. This is also one of the reasons I feel like Osaka’s cup is brimming over with the liquor of artistry.