Osaka, Fri night March 2- The Arrival

The neon Glico man:


Osaka city. Stress the O for correct pronunciation.
My first impression of Osaka is it is a manageable Tokyo. We flew in late afternoon, spent a few hours getting our bearings and itinerary sorted out, and went to the popular Minami area of Nanba. We met Gino's friend for a vietnamese dinner. Arguably a weird thing to do in a Japanese city, you'd think we'd opt for famous food of the region, but we instead divulged in the ammenities that a big city has to offer.

It's a challenge trying to pick up on the unique Osaka dialect. It is highlighted by words and phrases that have special meanings found only in the Kansai area. For example, Ookini. It has the meaning of "thank you" in English or "arigato" in standard Japanese. Many Osakans say ookini at the end of what they say.


Then we went to a bar tucked behind and away. One of my favorite things about Japan are the treasures you can find in hidden places. The back wall was adorned with a record collection and the others were pitch black. The compact bar was a counter, with four stools and two small tables squeezed in the back.
A well-used mahjong table crammed itself in the corner. Turntables hosted priceless music, spanning genres. A blissful first half day.