Osaka | Lufthansa ® Travel Guide

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Travel Guide
Osaka
02
Quick view
06
Top 10 sights
12
Hotels
02
Japan
08
Shopping in Osaka
12
The great journey
04
Travel etiquette
08
Restaurants
04
Health
09
Nightlife
05
Phone calls & Internet
10
Calendar of events
© Fotolia
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Quick view
Osaka - a brief overview
Neon-lit streets, an idiosyncratic food culture and plenty of ancient culture behind
the glass facades of skyscrapers. Osaka is one of Japan’s hottest cities. Root
around and you’ll find a town that’s a far cry from Tokyo, with a more laid-back vibe
despite its reputation as a business capital.
Whether you’re touring around its hulking castle or guzzling a bowl of noodles in
one of the tiny restaurants nestled beneath the main train station, Osaka will
surprise you at every turn. If you’re a foodie, party lover or museum fiend, you’ll find
plenty to keep you entertained.
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Japan
General knowledge
Country overview
Japan is swathed in natural beauty, from the snow festivals and lavender farms of
the northern isle of Hokkaido to the sun-drenched beaches and turquoise waters of
the subtropical islands of Okinawa. Whether climbing volcanic Mount Fuji,
wandering the pine forests of Mount Koya, taking in
the springtime beauty of the sakura cherry blossoms or the spectacular maple
leaves in the autumn, a journey to Japan is a wealth of unforgettable natural
landscapes. In recent years, the powdery snow of Japan's ski fields has also been
attracting international visitors.
Geography
The archipelago of Japan is separated from the Asian mainland by 160km (100
miles) of sea and split into four main islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and
Shikoku. About 70% of the country is covered by hills and mountains, a number of
which are active or dormant volcanoes, including Mount Fuji, Japan's highest
peak, reaching 3,776m (12,388ft). Japan sits on major seismic fault lines and is
susceptible to frequent earthquakes.
A series of mountain ranges runs from northern Hokkaido to southern Kyushu. The
Japanese Alps (the most prominent range) run in a north-south direction through
central Honshu.
Lowlands and plains are small and scattered, mostly lying along the coast, and
composed of alluvial lowlands and diluvial uplands. The coastline is very long in
relation to the land area, and has very varied features, for example, the deeply
indented bays with good natural harbours tend to be adjacent to mountainous
terrain. Many of Japan’s major cities are located on the coastline, and have
extremely high population density.
General knowledge
Key facts
Population: 127,06 Million
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Population Density (per sq km): 337
Capital: Tokyo.
Language
Japanese is the official language. Some English is spoken in Tokyo and other
large cities but is less usual in rural areas. There are many regional dialects and
there are distinct differences in the intonation and pronunciation between eastern
and western Japan.
Currency
Japanese Yen (JPY; symbol ¥). Notes are in denominations of ¥10,000, 5,000,
2,000 and 1,000. Coins are in denominations of ¥500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1.
Electricity
100 volts AC, 60Hz in the west (Osaka); 100 volts AC, 50Hz in eastern Japan and
Tokyo. Plugs are flat two-pin plugs.
General business opening hours
Mon-Fri 0900-1700. Some offices are open Sat 0900-1200.
Public holidays
Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2016 - December 2017 period.
Note: Holidays falling on Sunday are observed the following Monday. When there
is a single day between two national holidays, it is also taken as a holiday.
2016
New Year's Day: 1. January 2016
Coming of Age Day: 11. January 2016
National Foundation Day: 11. February 2016
Vernal Equinox: 21. March 2016
Showa Day: 29. April 2016
Constitution Memorial Day: 3. May 2016
Greenery Day: 4. May 2016
Children's Day: 5. May 2016
Marine Day: 18. July 2016
Respect for the Aged Day: 19. September 2016
Autumnal Equinox: 22. September 2016
Health and Sports Day: 10. October 2016
Culture Day: 3. November 2016
Labour Thanksgiving Day: 23. November 2016
Emperor's Birthday: 23. December 2016
2017
New Year's Day: 1. January 2017
Coming of Age Day: 9. January 2017
National Foundation Day: 11. February 2017
Vernal Equinox: 21. March 2017
Showa Day: 29. April 2017
Constitution Memorial Day: 3. May 2017
Greenery Day: 4. May 2017
Children's Day: 5. May 2017
Marine Day: 17. July 2017
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Respect for the Aged Day: 18. September 2017
Autumnal Equinox: 22. September 2017
Health and Sports Day: 9. October 2017
Culture Day: 3. November 2017
Labour Thanksgiving Day: 23. November 2017
Emperor's Birthday: 23. December 2017
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Travel etiquette
How to fit in
Social Conventions
Japanese manners and customs are vastly different from those of Western people.
A strict code of behaviour and politeness is recognised and followed by almost
everyone. However, Japanese people do not expect visitors to be familiar with all
their customs but do expect them to behave formally and politely.
A straightforward refusal traditionally does not form part of Japanese etiquette, and
a vague 'yes' does not always mean 'yes'. (The visitor may be comforted to know
that confusion caused by non-committal replies occurs between the Japanese
themselves.)
When entering a Japanese home or restaurant, shoes must be removed.
Bowing is the customary greeting but handshaking is becoming more common for
business meetings with Westerners. The honorific suffix san should be used when
addressing all men and women; for instance Mr Yamada would be addressed as
Yamada-san.
Table manners are very important, although the Japanese host will be very tolerant
towards a visitor. However, it is best if visitors familiarise themselves with basic
table etiquette and use chopsticks. Exchange of gifts is also a common business
practice and may take the form of souvenir items such as company pens, ties or
high-quality spirits.
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Health
Health
Main emergency number: 119
Food & Drink
If travelling to the area near the Fukushima nuclear accident it is advisable to take
supplies of food and water. Produce from the area near the Fukushima nuclear
accident, which is still being sold in some supermarkets nationwide, should be
avoided due to the lack of a centralized testing system in Japan for radioactive
contamination in food, and discrepancies between Japanese and international
standards for safe levels of radioactive substances in food. Tap water in Tokyo
was declared not safe for consumption after the accident, although the government
has since stated otherwise. Nevertheless, if travelling with children it is advisable
to take precautions. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website
(www.mhlw.go.jp) has updates on contamination levels in tested food. In other
parts of Japan, food and drink are generally considered safe.
Only eat raw fish, seafood and meat from recognised establishments, and be
aware that there is a risk of parasitic infection and toxins if these foods have not
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been prepared properly. E-coli food poisoning outbreaks tend to occur in Japan
during the warmer months (June-September), and it is advisable to take
precautions when consuming perishable foods at outdoor summer festivals, where
refrigeration may be an issue.
Other Risks
You should make sure you are up to date with routine vaccinations. Influenza and
measles epidemics have occurred in recent years and precautions should be
taken. Tuberculosis and hepatitis B occur and vaccination is sometimes advised.
Typhus occurs in some river valleys. Japanese encephalitis may occur.
Vaccination is recommended for long-term travel (greater than one month) in rural
areas. All normal precautions should also be exercised to avoid exposure to
sexually-transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
If spending prolonged periods outdoors during the summer months when heat and
humidity can be extreme, make sure to have plenty of fluids on hand to avoid
dehydration and wear hats and other protective clothing to avoid heatstroke.
Contractual physician of Lufthansa
Dr. Sato, Motohiko
Meisei Hospital
2-4-8 Higashinodamachi
Miyakojima
5340024 Osaka
Japan
Tel. +81-6-6353-3121
Please note that Lufthansa accepts no responsibility for the treatment nor will it
bear the cost of any treatment.
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Phone calls & Internet
Phone calls & Internet
Telephone/Mobile Telephone
Dialing Code: +81
Telephone
Four companies provide international communications services: KDDI (001),
Cable & Wireless IDC (0061) Japan Telecom (0041) and NTT (0033). To call the
UK, for example, you would use 001-44. Credit cards can also be used directly in
some phone boxes. Public telephone boxes are becoming more difficult to find and
are most likely to be located near train stations. They are green and grey, and
accept coins and magnetic prepaid cards, available from convenience stories and
vending machines.
Mobile Telephone
The Japanese mobile network uses PDC (Personal Digital Cellular System)
technology, which is not compatible with GSM or other mobile services. Visitors
can hire handsets at the airport from companies such as DoCoMo
(www.nttdocomo.com), and Softbank (www.softbank-rental.jp). In the UK, phones
can be rented in advance of travel from Adam Phones (www.adamphones.com).
Coverage is generally good.
Internet
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Internet is widely available; there are many internet cafés in Tokyo and in the main
cities in Japan. Most hotels have Wi-Fi internet access.
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Top 10 sights
Top 10 sights in Osaka
Osaka Castle
A 20th-century rebuild of the 16th-century original, this huge castle was originally
built to mark the unification of Japan. Full of fascinating pieces on the history of
Osaka and the castle’s own development. The observation deck offers excellent
views of the city.
1-1 Osakajo, Chuo-ku
Opening times:
540-0002 Osaka
Daily 0900-1630
Japan
Tel: 06 6941 3044
www.osakacastle.net
Spa World
A fancy version of Japan’s fantastic onsen, this spa claims to be the world’s
largest. It’s split over two floors, along with a rooftop area where you can channel
your inner kid and take to waterslides and other fun-filled attractions.
3-4-24 Ebisu higashi, Naniwa-ku
www.spaworld.co.jp
556-0002 Osaka
Japan
Tel: 06 6631 0001
Museum of Oriental Ceramics
The exquisite ceramics on show here are sourced mainly from nearby Korea and
China. The museum’s collection extends to almost 3,000 pieces, although only
around a 10th of them are on show.
1-1-26 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku
Opening times
530-0005 Osaka
Tue-Sun 0930-1630
Japan
Tel: 06 6223 0055
www.moco.or.jp
Amerika-Mura
The streets of Osaka’s ‘American Village’ are the place to come if you want to see
Japanese youth culture in full effect. Think extreme fashion, places to pick up
anime and a small replica of the Statue of Liberty, and you get the idea.
1-9-16 Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku
www.americamura.co.jp
542-0086 Osaka
Japan
Tel: 06 6245 2512
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Osaka Aquarium
The biggest aquarium in the world has a fascinating array of themed areas, where
you can gaze at exotic sea life from around the world. The Deep Sea zone is
particularly good. A must if you’re travelling with kids.
1-1-10 Kaigandori, Minato-ku
Opening times:
552-0022 Osaka
Daily 1000-1900
Japan
Tel: 06 6576 5501
www.kaiyukan.com
Osaka Museum of History
Detailed exhibits take you through the history of Osaka, from its samurai days up
its modern-day position as one of Japan’s, and Asia’s, premier cities. Housed in
the same building as the NHK broadcast company.
1-32 Otemae 4-Chome, Chuo-ku
Opening times:
540-0008 Osaka
Sat-Mon, Wed-Thurs 0900-1700
Japan
Fri 0930-1930
Tel: 06 6946 5728
www.mus-his.city.osaka.jp
Shitennō-ji Temple
The original buildings of this Buddhist temple no longer survive, but the stone torii
gate, built in 1294, is still standing. One of Japan’s oldest temples, dating back to
593, this temple is a must-visit.
1-11-18 Shitennoji, Tennoji
Opening times:
543-0051 Osaka
Daily 0830-1630
Japan
Tel: 06 6771 0066
www.shitennoji.or.jp
Umeda Sky Building
This striking skyscraper is arguably Osaka’s best sight. Wander beneath its
soaring arch to get a great perspective on the unique architecture, before zipping to
the floating garden observatory for unbeatable views of the city below.
1-1-88 Oyodonaka, Kita-ku
Opening times:
531-6023 Osaka
Daily 1000-2200
Japan
Tel: 06 6440 3901
www.kuchu-teien.com
Universal Studios Japan
Osaka's popular Universal Studios theme park, one of only two outside of the USA,
includes Harry Potter, Spiderman and Jurassic Park rides, as well as guided tours,
themed restaurants and countless shops.
2-1-33 Sakurajima, Konohana-ku
Opening times:
554-0031 Osaka
Various (check website for details)
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www.usj.co.jp
Tel: 0570 200 606
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Shopping in Osaka
Shopping in Osaka
Key Areas
Umeda and Namba are the key areas for those looking to spend a day indulging in
some retail therapy. Den Den Town is where it’s at for cheap (and expensive)
electronics. Amerika-Mura is rammed with alternative clothing and accessories
shops.
Markets
Malls and shopping centres are the order of the day in Osaka. But Kuromon Ichiba
is great for foodies. This produce market is excellent for people-watching, while its
food stalls serve up tasty snacks to keep your energy levels up.
Shopping Centres
Shinsaibashi Suji is one of Osaka’s oldest arcades. Its 600m (1,969ft) stretch
houses international stores as well as local boutiques for stocking up on clothes
you won’t find back home. Amateur chefs should check out Doguya Suji for cool
kitchen gadgets. Rinku Town, near Kansai Airport, is a new place dedicated to
global brands.
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Restaurants
Restaurants in Osaka
Eating is a way of life in Osaka and no other Japanese city is as obsessed by meal
times.Okonomiyaki, takoyaki and steaming bowls of udon are all local favourites,
with hundreds of places to try these specialities.
Fujiya 1935
A three-Michelin-star joint serving Italian food using locally sourced ingredients.
2-4-14 Yariyamachi, Chuo-ku
Price: Expensive
540-0027 Osaka
Japan
Hajime
Another place graced with Michelin stars, this conceptual restaurant will leave your
taste buds buzzing.
1F, 1-9-11 Edobori, Nishi-ku
Price: Expensive
550-0002 Osaka
Japan
Mizuno
Few places in Japan, let alone Osaka, serve a better okonomiyaki (savoury
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pancake).
1-4-15 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku
Price: Moderate
542-0071 Osaka
Japan
Usami-Tei Matsubaya
Head here to taste thick udon noodles and deep-fried tofu.
3-8-1 Minamisenba, Chuo-ku
Price: Moderate
539-0000 Osaka
Japan
Ootako Takoyaki
Arguably the best takoyaki (fried octopus balls) that Osaka has to offer.
1-5-10 Dotonburi
Price: Budget
Chuo-ku, Osaka
Japan
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Nightlife
Nightlife in Osaka
Osaka neon-lit streets throb late into the night, its bars and clubs renowned
throughout Japan.Nightlife centres on the Dotomburi area, although late-night
action can be found away from its garish streets.
Grand Cafe
Achingly hip (and with handy English signage), this is one of Amerika-Mura’s
hottest spots.
B1F Spazio Bldg 2-10-21
Nishishinsaibashi
Chuo-ku, Osaka
Japan
Tavola 36
An upmarket bar on the 36th floor of a downtown skyscraper.
5-1-60 Namba, Chuo-ku
542-0076 Osaka
Japan
Tin’s Hall
A lengthy happy hour and a huge beer selection keep this place jumping.
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10-3 Minamikawahori-machi, Minamiku
543-0054 Osaka
Japan
Rock Rock
The name’s a bit of a giveaway. Rock music and a celeb crowd head to this great
bar.
Shinsaibashi Atrium Build
3F 1-8-1 Nishishinsaibashi
Chuo-Ku, Osaka
542-0086 Japan
National Bunraku Theatre
Don’t fancy drinking and dancing? The traditional puppet show at this theatre is a
great alternative.
1-12-1 Nipponbashi, Chuo-ku
542-0073 Osaka
Japan
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Calendar of events
Calendar of events
Cherry Blossom Festival
The cherry blossom (sakura) season is celebrated throughout Osaka during the
colourful month of April. Families gather in parks for picnics or visit the beautiful
grounds at Japan Mint Osaka, which opens to the public for a week during the
cherry blossom season.
24 March 2016
Venue: Osaka Castle Park
Shoryo-e Festival
This festival features gagaku court dance and music on a stone stage in the Kameno-ike pond at Shitenno-ji Temple as a memorial service for Shotoku Taishi, the
temple's founder.
22 April 2016
Venue: Shitenno-ji Temple
Aizen Matsuri
One of Osaka's bigger festivals, this is a Buddhist memorial service during which
young women in yukata (light kimono) ride kago palanquins up the route from the
station to the temple, shouting encouragements along the way.
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30 June - 2 July 2016
Venue: Shoman-in Temple, Tennoji area
Tenjin Matsuri
Osaka's annual Tenjin Festival sees a spectacular procession of thousands of
people in traditional costumes carry exquisite portable shrines from Temmangu
Shrine to Tenjin Bridge. There they board more than 100 ornamented boats and
barges to proceed from the Dojima River to the Okawa River. Nightfall finally
brings a dazzling fireworks display. This enormous and dramatic festival dates
back to the 10th century and is one of the largest events of its kind in Japan.
24 - 25 July 2016
Venue: Temmangu Shrine to Tenjin Bridge
Sumiyoshi Matsuri
An ancient summer purification festival starting at the Sumiyoshi Taisha Grand
Shrine and including a procession all the way to Sakai city.
30 July - 1 August 2016
Venue: Sumiyoshi Taisha Grand Shrine
Shinnosai Festival
Osaka's Shinnosai Festival is dedicated to the guardian god of Doshomachi,
Osaka's medicine district, and to Shinno, the divine founder of medicine from
China.
22 - 23 November 2016
Venue: Sukunahikona Jinja Shrine
Toka Ebisu Festival
One million people pass through the sixth century Imamiya Ebisu Shrine during the
three-day January festival to pray to Ebisu (or informally, 'Ebessan'), the god of
business and wealth. The shrine maidens sell lucky bamboo fronds (fukusasa)
loaded with lucky charms and coin talismans. Their offer is: 'Buy a frond and your
business will prosper'. It's certainly a profitable time for the frond sellers. The
highlight of the festival is 'Toka Ebisu' (10th Ebisu) when colourful palanquins bear
geisha and other celebrities through the lantern-lit streets.
9 - 10 January 2017
Venue: Imamiya Ebisu Shrine
Shitenno-ji 'Doya Doya' Festival
A festival where two groups of lightly clad (headbands and loincloths only) young
men compete for possession of an amulet.
14 January 2017
Venue: Shitenno-ji Temple
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Osaka Sumo Basho
Osaka Sumo Basho is one of the six annual big sumo wrestling tournaments in
Japan which attracts huge crowds of sumo fans. Tickets can be purchased on the
day if you arrive early in the morning.
13 - 27 March 2017
www.sumo.or.jp/eng
Venue: Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
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Hotels
Hotels in Osaka
Business is the order of the day in Osaka and as such, hotels are largely geared
up for those visiting town to thrash out deals.As with the rest of Japan, budget
rooms are not easy to come across in great numbers.
Inter Continental Osaka
Rooms blend western and Asian style in this large, luxury hotel in the heart of the
city.
3-60 Ofuka-cho, Kita-ku
Category: Expensive
530-0011 Osaka
Japan
The Ritz Carlton
A blow-the-budget option, with fantastically appointed rooms and great views
across Osaka.
2-5-25 Umeda, Kita-ku
Category: Expensive
530-0001 Osaka
Japan
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The great journey
Caught between worlds
The great journey: From
Tokyo to Osaka
© Enno Kapitza
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Japan has a polarizing effect. On a five-day trip from Toyko to Osaka we are treated
to a fascinating mix of people and customs: a women’s diving cooperative, a
peaceful bonsai school in the middle of flashy Tokyo, an enterprising master
firework maker and two Dutch girls who love to dress up.
Day 1 – Tokyo: Shaping
Nature
© Enno Kapitza
Half an hour is all it takes in Tokyo to get from the world’s largest intersection to a
green oasis of tranquility. At Shibuya Crossing doors open automatically and we
climb into a taxi driven by a woman sporting white gloves and a chauffeur’s cap.
Soon we are standing in an inner courtyard amid hundreds of bonsais,
overwhelmed by the serenity of the scene. A stream splashes softly into a pond,
where koi circle dreamily. Sensei Kunio Kobayashi, 65, pours us green tea. He has
been working with bonsai since 1976 and is a grand bonsai master today, teaching
the art of shaping bonsai and welcoming visitors from Japan, Italy and Australia
almost every day. Some of his students stand absolutely still, firmly gripping their
secateurs as they contemplate the fine twigs. Kobayashi has chalked a bonsai
consisting of three elements onto a board: a stand, a plant pot and a tree.
Ideally, a bonsai should express – in miniature – the harmony between humans
and nature. Kobayashi sighs. “Shaping a good student is more difficult than
shaping a good bonsai.” The master shows us his most beautiful trees, one of
which is 800 years old and worth a fortune. “Love is the key,” explains Kobayashi,
“One has to devote many hours every day to a bonsai.” He tells his students to
watch their tree instead of watching television. Kobayashi walks over to a small
altar where a dried-up tree is lying on the floor – the bonsai graveyard. “Bonsai can
sense when we neglect them,” he says, closing his eyes. The distant din of the city
of millions drifts in over the walls. Silently, Kobayashi asks the dead bonsai for
forgiveness.
Day 2 – Tokyo to
Matsumoto: Masters of
pyrotechnics
© Enno Kapitza
Mount Fuji is shrouded in cloud and only its snowy peak is visible. A recorded
loudspeaker message brings us a woman’s monotonous warning to “Drive
carefully, there have been many accidents recently, drive slowly.” We are sitting
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outside at a rest stop, spooning noodle soup with mountain vegetables, having left
Tokyo via the ring expressway, which is frequently the scene of illegal nighttime
races. The countryside is growing hillier, the air fresher, the leaves gleam redbrown in the sunshine. “Kōyō” is what the Japanese call the season when the
foliage turns. They celebrate it with a variety of festivals just like they do the season
of spring blossoms. Hiroto Kamijoo, 53, makes his living from such festivals.
Kneeling in front of a pile of gunpowder balls with his son Rioji, he strikes a match.
A loud bang resounds and through a dense swathe of smoke, we see five different
colors as five layers of powder burn.
Mr. Kamijoo looks pleased with himself. “I loved watching fireworks in the sky as a
boy,” he says, “and there comes a time when you want to do it yourself.” He has
been igniting tiny bombs with gusto for over 30 years and was one of the 12 master
firework makers entrusted with firing the rockets at the closing ceremony of the
Winter Olympics in Nagano in 1998. At his warehouse, protected by double steel
doors, stout walls and a round-the-clock security guard, six employees pour
powder into balls; the wider their diameter, the longer they burn. The closest
building is half a kilometer away. He and his team make up to 20 000 bombs year.
Does he enjoy what he does? “What, you noticed?,” Kamijoo replies with a broad
grin.
Day 3 – Matsumoto: Raw
fish and thermal springs
© Enno Kapitza
In the morning, we are met by Mikoko Nakajo, landlady of a ryokan at the foot of the
Japanese Alps. Her 120-year-old guesthouse draws water via a wooden pipeline
from thermal springs located kilometers away in the mountains. “My only fear is that
an earthquake could destroy the line,” says Nakajo. Twigs hang from high ceilings,
calligraphy adorns the walls and her guests sleep on futons. Automatic, heated
lavatory seats and flatscreen televisions are the only nods to the 21st century here.
Outside, steam rises from the onsen, hot pools of healing mineral water. Her
husband monitors their quality every month. She herself does not particularly like
them, says Ms. Nakajo, smiling politely: “Too hot and too many people.” Foreign
visitors often extend their stay into a relaxing break; Japanese visitors usually only
come for a night.
“We Japanese find it more difficult to let go; very few of us take a vacation,”
explains Nakajo. She herself enjoys traveling, especially to Baden-Württemberg in
Germany, where her children went to university. She loves German buildings,
grandfather clocks and church bells. In fact, the only thing she had a problem with
was the food: “The huge portions, awful, dumplings this size!,” she exclaims,
shaping her hands to encompass an imaginary soccer ball. She and her husand
would travel across the border to France to eat. She is interrupted by a gong
striking 6pm. Guests in kimonos and slippers come to kneel at the low tables. This
ryokan is famous for its food: fish with roe inside, raw octopus in seaweed, yuba
rolls made of tofu skin, sea anemones, marinated mushrooms. Ms. Nakajo beams.
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Day 4 – Matsumoto to
Wajima: The old woman and
the sea
© Enno Kapitza
After breakfasting on fish, we go down to Wajima harbor. A few fishing boats are
still coming in, but most of the fleet has already been tied up along the pier and
unloaded. The air is filled with the smells of salt and diesel oil, gulls squabble over
shrimp scraps, and it’s drizzling. Harue Aochi surveys the sea.
She is an expert at reading the currents; she knows the waves and the wind. Aochi
is 62 years old and works literally in the sea all year round. She is one of around
200 amas, the women divers of the Noto Peninsula in the Japanese Sea. There
are nearly 1000 divers like her in the country. After the Second World War, very few
men returned to Noto and many were no longer able to work. Forced to provide for
their families, their wives went fishing or diving for mussels and snails.
Aochi sails out every morning with eight other amas and a captain to one of the
islands off the coast. The weather determines where they head. Aochi has been
gathering abalone and turban snails from the sea bed for 40 years. Delicacies like
that fetch up to 10 000 yen (over 100 dollars) a kilo at the fish market. On a good
day, the divers haul between 20 and 30 kilos on board.
The women are organized as a cooperative and share their profits equally,
regardless of how many mussels and snails each one of them collects. If someone
is sick, she still gets her share. “The young women dive further down and bring up
more than the older ones,” explains Aochi, “but someday they, too, will be old and
profit from the young.” An ama’s skills are handed down from generation to
generation. Aochi’s mother taught her her craft under water and showed her the
good spots; Aochi in her turn trained her cousin, who dives with the cooperative,
too.
The women can hold their breath for two minutes and dive down 18 meters without
oxygen bottles. They always dive in pairs, taking it in turns to stay at the surface
and keep watch while their partner is down below, filling the baskets. They use
sign language to communicate with each other, and only women do this kind of
work. “Men are too impatient,” says Aochi with a smile, “they feel the cold quickly
because they have no body fat.” Her husband is standing beside her, two heads
shorter and quite a bit slimmer.
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Travel Guide
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Osaka
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Day 5 – Wajima to Osaka:
Two Lolitas far from home
© Enno Kapitza
We head southwest along the coast, past pagoda villages, rice terraces and rocky
beaches. Now and then, we come upon a racing cyclist, but otherwise the streets
tend to be deserted. Many Japanese express a longing to return to nature and the
simple life in the country, far from the crowds and the fast pace and noise of the
city. Not Leyla Cavusoglu from the Netherlands. Cavusoglu, 28, left Europe to live
in a Japanese city. “The secondhand stores in Osaka are fantastic,” she says,
peeping out from under her false eyelashes. She is looking for new Lolita fashions,
a variation on “cosplay,” the costume trend exported from Japan along with the
manga boom in the 1990s. “In cosplay, you play a different role, but as Lolita, you
keep your own character,” explains Leyla, today in a black-and-red costume. Her
friend Danchelle Heijnen, 21, is all dolled up in baby blue and pink, right down to
the bow in her hair, in an outfit worth around 1000 euros.
The pair of Lolitas are inside a Hello Kitty store. Outside, jostling masses fill the
shopping malls near the Glico Man, one of several garish neon signs and a
landmark of Dotonbori, a district famous for its nightlife. Young people pose for
photos, suited business types sit in sushi bars, and girls match high boots with
short skirts, wearing their iPhones like jewelry around their necks.
A cacophony of sounds pounds from the Gamecenter, where boys dance to light
patterns that keep on changing at breakneck speed. Friday night is a dazzling,
neon time of the week. The two Lolitas are off to a party. As they disappear into the
crowds, Leyla turns back, her purse describing a semicircle, and calls out, “I just
love Japan!”
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