[Blogtober Special] Osaka vs Tokyo

Anyone who knows even a tiny bit about Japan will know that Osaka and Tokyo are two of the biggest cities here in Japan. Thus, locals and tourists alike have come to compare the two; whether it's about being competitive or simply to choose which destination to visit (due to limited travel time).

I can tell you that I am definitely Team Osaka, if you will.

It probably is extremely bias and subjectively (which it is), as I've only lived in Kansai since I first moved here to Japan. But I had to choose again, I would probably still choose Osaka over Tokyo.

I don't think Tokyo is terrible at all. In fact, I think Tokyo is absolutely superior in many ways.

Despite both being huge metropolises, Tokyo is still more convenient than Osaka. No, I'm not talking about just daily conveniences. For example, some travel destinations are actually much easier to get to from Tokyo because the transport infrastructure is in place for faster travel from Tokyo only, not Osaka. Like going to Kanazawa. Which is something that boggles my mind. No matter how you look at it on the map, Kansai is definitely closer. But Tokyo has the high speed rail that gets there faster.

Or... having to go to the embassy to renew a passport of your home country. You'd most likely have to make a trip to Tokyo in order to at least start this process.

As an expat, having food from your home country becomes much more desired the longer you stay in Japan. Yes, while Japanese food is great, you will eventually start to crave foods from other cultures - especially if you have been exposed to them frequently back home. Tokyo definitely wins in terms of having more available options. While it's not impossible to find some variety in Osaka, the quality of those options are questionable at best. If you read my blog about Cantonese Food, you will understand what I mean.

Tokyo is... huge. Well, that's a bit of an understatement, but what I am trying to get at is that in a huge metropolis like Tokyo, it's often not hard to find lots of events happening and lots of places to explore on your own free time. The former is especially true. If you know where to look, there's always something happening somewhere in some part of the city.

Which the same could be said about Osaka as well. There are plenty of events that happen every weekend that's related to art, food or general entertainment. It's not difficult to find at all if you aren't too picky. However, being Osaka sometimes mean you can miss out on bigger events that is stationery in one city like the Tokyo Game Show, which is only held in Tokyo.

But the amount of people in Japan's biggest metropolis is really the main reason I will still choose Osaka over Tokyo.

The older I got, the less I wanted to be around the glitz, the glam and the people. I mean... I've always been very much an introvert so it's kind of ingrained in me to avoid people. Haha. But I still wanted to be in a place where there were ample job opportunities, places to meet different kinds of people (to avoid people drama... which I still had, so you can only imagine what it's like in a small town).

Having come to Japan via a dispatch company, there is often very little chance for you to choose a placement in or close to a big city. I didn't really bet on getting one at all, but somehow the stars just kind of aligned and Interac had placements in Sakai City (30 mins out of Osaka proper).

I took it and stayed since.

So if you really had to ask me why Osaka, not Tokyo...

I didn't choose Osaka, Osaka chose me.

Strawberry Night, a Tribute.

I don't really know where to begin with this, honestly. I'm at a loss for words, but I want to properly set my emotions straight by writing, as I usually do when I was a teen and actively used my LiveJournal and Tumblr. I also want to use this space as a proper tribute. A way to remember her by, and giving her a proper send off by giving her work the attention she deserves. (not that my writing has much influence anyway haha)

If you don't know what I'm talking about, Japanese actress Takeuchi Yuko (40) had passed away this past Sunday (9/27).

She is one of my favourite Japanese actresses. She's been one of my favourite actresses for a long time.

But truth be told, it hadn't always been this way.

My first encounter with Takeuchi Yuko's acting was PRIDE. I was going down the rabbit hole of all things Kimura Takuya jdramas at the time, and she had happened to be in one of his dramas. Truthfully, I hadn't seen much in her at the time. The drama was good. She was fine. Many people raved about her charm, and I simply didn't see it at the time. Dare I say it, she looked rather plain.

It was years later before I took to another jdrama she was lead in. Lunch no Joo. At the time, I had run out of jdramas to watch and I thought I would at least give her one more chance. Besides, Tsumabuki Satoshi was in it. What could possible go wrong?

Other than Dead-Fish-Eye "Yamapi" (Yamashita Tomohisa; yes his acting is a piece of sh*t - fight me!) being the only thing that was clearly wrong, there was nothing. I started seeing Takeuchi Yuko in a different light. I wanted to see more.

So I went on one of my infamous jdrama rabbit holes with Yuko:

Mukodono (t'was ok).

Shiro Kage (there's Nakai in it).

Fukigen no Gene (don't remember much of it).

Gakkou no Sensei (I know I watched this, but ???).

Bara no Nai Hanaya (I love SMAP's Shingo, but good god this was shit...).

Egao no Hosoku (also ??? but eh...).

Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku (so many Arashi fans raved about this one and it was ok, but meh).

Yes, I wasn't impressed with the story of the dramas I had all watched, but there was no doubt that she had a way with her audiences. She was charming, and with all the dramas she was in, once she had your attention - she had a way of grabbing hold of you.

Just like she did with the next one.

And did she ever catch me... off guard.

As I was finishing my binge, I knew a new drama of her was just about finishing in Japan. I hadn't watched it yet. I was just about finishing off University and working full time, so time was limited. But I knew I needed to watch it.

It was called...."Strawberry Night".

I hadn't known it at the time, but spoiler alert: it became one of my all time favourite Japanese dramas. Think of the rest of this post as a plug if you will, but I mostly want to explain why I feel this drama is so important in this day and age - and also as a way to appreciate one of many Yuko's work, to remember her by.

(there may be spoilers ahead, but I will try not to spoil the story)

---

What is Strawberry Night?

Strawberry Night is best known by its Japanese drama, followed by a movie (and a 2nd season of the drama, though we don't need to talk about it because it's pretty bad). But its origins is from a novel written by Honda Tetsuya, a detective/crime novelist. It also has a short manga, and a TV drama special episode - which led to the full drama itself.

The story follows a young female detective - Himekawa Reiko (played by Takeuchi Yuko), and her team, solving rather simple but sometimes bizarre cases in central Tokyo.

What's there to talk about?

I had watched Strawberry Night the first time before coming to Japan. I started reading the translated novel in Chinese just as I was moving here. For me then, this story was important because it wasn't only just another drama about crime. It was about a young woman, trying to fight her past - and her inner demons. And I thought it was such a strong, powerful piece that displays this constant fighting. Not just with herself, but also with her family who is clearly trying not letting her get over her past under the guise of "protecting her".

As an only child raised in an Asian household, this was a narrative I understood. Not completely, but I understood too well the struggle of being suffocated by overprotective parents. Not being taken seriously because mental health is seen as something of a "weakness" and "problematic" by Asian people in my parents' generation.

However, after rewatching it a 2nd and 3rd time, I realized there was a theme that runs much deeper. A theme that runs into the depth of Japanese society, and one you might have caught, but not understand completely.

Japan's patriarchal society.

Not only was the main character fighting her own demons, she was fighting a society where women don't often hold positions of power. Especially in a job where it's "male-centric", a female detective in power is almost unheard of. Left, right and center throughout the drama, Himekawa's position is ridiculed and challenged by her male colleagues. When not challenged, there are clearly lots of deep-seeded ideas on what a woman's role in Japanese society should be.

Like in this scene in episode 4, for example. Himekawa's new subordinate, Hayama, expressing and trying to work out why he hasn't opened up to his new teammates. I think it sums up very well what other (male) characters are thinking, but not saying.

And I think this is particularly what makes this drama so powerful in this day and age. Not only is the story trying to highlight personal challenges, but also societal challenges that people don't often talk about. Especially when many Japanese people don't have a habit of talking about these issues openly, a drama is sometimes one of the few ways that allows for these kinds of conversations to happen.

I suspect these issues will probably be glossed over but Japanese, since as I said, most people don't tend to talk or discuss these kinds of things openly (let alone think about them). But as foreign audiences, I think dramas like Strawberry Night is a window into Japanese society and how it's like. It's sexist, absolutely. But I think this drama outlines this in probably the least offensive ways possible.

And that's probably why I think you should watch it. If you haven't already.

And Finally...

I don't often get analytical over things I watch, mostly because I think there are some things in life that aren't meant to be enjoyed that way. But I do think Strawberry Night has somewhat of a dual purpose - for understanding, and for enjoyment. Thus why I approached this post more analytically than I usually do.

The enjoyment of it is purely for the story, and the cases. I actually really enjoyed the cases in the story. They are rather well thought out, well-explained and plain - but in a good way. Some of the cases make it pretty obvious who the perp ends up being, but the logical explanation getting there is the most enjoyable for me.

What else? Hm....

The music. This drama doesn't have a theme song, but it has an OST. I love it. Sure, it gets repetitive by the end, but I honestly can't say I get tired of hearing it. The music invokes so many emotions just by hearing it along with the drama scenes. I think that's what makes it so enjoyable and memorable for me.

Then of course, like with lots of Japanese dramas about "teams" - the cohesion and relationship between Himekawa and her subordinates. Particularly the relationship between Kikuta (played by Nishijima Hidetoshi) and Himekawa. Don't read this following link until you've watched the drama, but let's just say this ship is quite popular amongst fans - and this blog post mirrors my exact thoughts on them.

Lastly, the entire reason I wrote out this blog post in the first place.

Strawberry Night definitely allowed Takeuchi Yuko to perform at her best. This drama required the person who acts as Himekawa to show raw emotions through expressions and actions. I thought she not only did that exceptionally, but she made it look so easy and natural. You can tell that there was a lot of thought put into portraying this character, and well... she is Himekawa Reiko. That's how powerful her performance is.

Despite how I midway through this blog said that I really don't remember much of her other dramas, there's always a few things I remember:

Her smile. Her elegance in her roles. Her expressive eyes.

There are times where I do think she is forced to overact for comedic purposes, which is something I don't enjoy much in Japanese drama, but that's not something the audience should fault her for. I only hope that she will continue to be remembered for all the good she's contributed to in Japanese drama, Japanese movies and other Japanese media she might have been involved in.

Rest in Peace, Yuko. I hope you've found the peace you were looking for.

I miss you already.

Hot Yoga in Japan

I've never really been much of a sports person. As you may have remember my last blog, I'm extremely unfit. I never really exercised much and was never really into working out. However, as of last year, I tried my hand at yoga, and found myself really enjoying it.

Unfortunately, I was without a yoga instructor since mine returned home during COVID19, and in my small apartment, it was difficult to practice online without getting in the way of things. So I decided to join a hot yoga studio, and I want to talk briefly about the process of joining. I know that some of you have strong opinions about putting yourself and others at risk during this time... so do I, but this is not what this post is about. We can talk all day about whether its right or wrong, but barring that, I do want to talk about how that's like during this time.

(This is not an endorsement nor a sponsored post!! I am only sharing my experience joining a yoga studio here in Japan)

---

Joining Hot Yoga

There are a lot of yoga studios in Japan, mostly in Japanese and few in English. Most English studios don't offer just English classes anyway, so I really saw no benefit in joining a studio that offered English. Especially if its a monthly fee, I won't necessarily have time to join the ones in English. Which means no matter where I join, I will have to be ok with yoga instructions in Japanese. And in that sense, it didn't matter where I joined.

I decided to take a look at a huge chain called LAVA. They were doing a campaign in June (probably to attract new members after the state of emergency), so I decided to at least take a look at how its like even if I decide not to join.

You can sign up for a trial lesson on their website. It's a pretty easy process. You fill in your personal information, pick the location where they have a store, the lesson you are available to go to on their scheduler, and you show up.

Before the trial lesson at LAVA, they tell you that you essentially don't have to bring your mat, towel or even water. Just your yoga clothes. You can rent the mat and towel free at the trial, and they provide you a 2L bottle of water for during the lesson. I thought that was pretty nice for beginners, especially if they aren't sure if yoga is something they are into.

Signing Up

When you arrive at the studio for the lesson, your yoga instructor will guide you through the procedures and show you around their facility: locker room, yoga studio, shower room. With LAVA, at least the one (or ones) I frequent are ladies-only - so its not as clear cut where the locker room starts and ends, if any. Which is kind of nice for the ladies who are looking for ladies-only facilities.

After the lesson, the yoga instructor that you had a lesson with will walk you through further procedures if you wish to sign up and join for monthly membership. I decided to join, so I got changed (hot yoga is sooooo. much. sweat!) and sat down to chat with the yoga instructor about the plans they have.

With LAVA, they have a few levels of membership. They have a 4 lessons per month plan, and you can only visit one "main" studio (your home studio, if you will). That is their cheapest plan. Their next level is a biweekly lesson option, and you are not locked down in just one studio. The last option is there kind of free-for-all plan. You can sign up for as many lessons in a week as you like (up to two a day), and you can visit any of their chains nation-wide.

When I signed up, they were doing a campaign for the free-for-all plan - free for 3 months. This campaign is not longer available, but I thought it was a good way to test and see which "home" studio I wanted to settle on. I can switch to a "lower level" plan once the 3 months is up, but I needed to switch in a very specific time frame, or otherwise I will be charged full for the free-for-all plan. If I cancelled my membership, there would be a cancellation fee involved. The longer I have my membership, the less this will cost (which makes sense so people don't just bail immediately after the campaign).

The process was not overly long. I just had to listen to some explanation in Japanese, sign a few papers, give them my payment information and I was done in about 30 minutes. Since they already had most of your information from the online sign-up, there was less back and forth trying to extract information from me.

Overall a very painless sign up, in Japanese standards.

The Lessons

I'm just entering into my 3 month with LAVA. To be honest, because of COVID19, I really haven't been using my membership too much. I've been to a few classes in different locations, and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I did notice that the pattern of lessons are pretty similar.

On their app which you can download and log into, you can schedule lessons on it. They have different types of yoga classes at varying difficulty, but within the lessons themselves, they don't really cater to the students. It's all very generic to whatever the type/theme is.

However, if you struggle with Japanese, this might be a plus. Since most instructors do their lessons in a strict format, you can easily memorize the lesson flow. You don't really need Japanese to follow through the lesson. In the beginning of course, if you struggle, you will probably have to watch what your neighbour or instructor is doing (which could be awkward depending on what position you do... haha). But otherwise, I think it's a good way to get moving and exercise. Especially if you're like me and need a bit of "group motivation"... if you will.

All lessons are one hour.

Some lessons have a 10 minutes pre-lesson or after lesson "tutorial/feedback" session, if you will. You can join/stay behind and learn some yoga basics, or get feedback on posture - whatever your instructor decides to do.

COVID19 and the Studio

Again, like I said, I'm not here to debate whether or not I should be doing yoga in a "public" space. However, I would like to share what my experience has been during this time with this particular yoga studio.

Upon entering, everyone needed to do a temperature check and sanitize their hands. The sanitizer they use seem to be the hypochlorous acid kind, which I have my doubts about... but I personally always wash my hands no matter what I touch at the studio. They give every studio-goer a bottle of this acid water to spray their locker, and to use during the lesson.

Since studio goers all have to check in, they have recently simplified the check-in with their app. All you have to do after the temperature check is to scan your membership ID from your phone. This eliminates the use of the membership card.

The studios themselves... At my initial "home" studio, the studio itself was rather small and catered to residential crowd. It had one studio. That said, this means they cannot run a lot of classes here. And the classes they had, they tried to fit as many people into the studio as they could. You were still able to keep an arm's length away from the people around you, but I didn't feel safe at that studio. Even though the floor is marked to tell studio goers where to put their mats, it's clear that people there were not following the rules. And the instructors were not enforcing it. So I chose to try a different studio.

The studio I frequent now has two smaller studio rooms. Of all the times I've been so far, only once has there been more than 10 people in the studio (it can easy fit 20, I think). The floor is very clearly marked to tell studio goers where to put their mats to give people space, and the instructors seem to be pretty good at enforcing this.

Air ventilation. To be honest... it's one of my main concerns as this was hot yoga. It means that air flow will be restricted in order to keep the room warm. Instructors at my current locations try to air out the room more now. Which means the hot in hot yoga isn't exactly true, but a sacrifice probably every yogi at the studio is willing to make during this time.

Masks are optional for all yogis except the instructor. Another reason why I have not been going too often to these lessons.

Since the cases have been on the rise recently, I try to pick a time on weekend mornings when probably most people don't go.

And that's about it. I hope you all keep safe, and while things are still risky with COVID19, try to be kind to people. And be kind to yourself! See you all next blog. :)