First Day In Osaka.

Wednesday 3/10/01. Day 69. Osaka weather fine about 27 Degrees.

In the toilets of this aeroplane I found men's after-shave, skin revitalizer, and a moisturizer, all Shiseido brand. A very good idea.
The stewards, who included two or three English from JAL's London base, were very friendly and gave marvellous service. The stewards told us that they get two hours off during the flight, and there are beds that they can sleep in. After completing the London to Osaka flight, they have two nights off before they return to London. Once a month, they go on from Osaka to Sydney: that is a nine day run for them, including their nights off.

About one and one half hours before landing, we had breakfast, or perhaps it was lunch: fresh fruit, yoghurt, a croissant, butter and jam, choice of coffee, green tea, English tea; and an omelette with baked beans and tomato.

Soon after 2-30 pm Japan time, the plane was at the gate and we were disembarking.
A notice said, "Due to the terrorist attack in New York, it will be slow and we apologise." So our passage through customs and immigration was glacial.
When we got to the baggage carousel, it had stopped, and our bags were on the floor.

Picking them up, we went out and found our Osaka friends, Akihiro and Masako Nakanishi, waiting. We felt hot and tired. Thoughtful Akihiro had welcome bottles of water for us.
We were shepherded out of the building, into the Nakanishi motor car and which sped away from Kansai Island to a satellite city of Osaka, Sakai. At this point, if you want geograhical information please refer to the Wikipedia Osaka Prefecture page.

Although Akihiro could speak reasonable English, and Masako was fluent in the same language, we felt we should attempt to speak Japanese; because it was our hosts' language, and because we had been studying Japanese in Australia before we left.
But we hadn't studied very much, so conversation was rather limited because of our inablity to say anything spontaneously in Japanese: we had to consult our-friends-the-dictionaries (actually we did have two) almost every time we wanted to say anything except, "Arigatou."("Thank you.") Which we had to say rather a lot, because Akihiro and Masako were such a thoughtful and attentive host and hostess.

Travelling along the expressways from the airport, we felt like visitors to another planet; it is difficult to credit the enormous industry and energy of urban Japan.

On arrival at the Nakanishi house (two storeyed, detatched, overlooking a lake, and with a garden of subtropical plants, in a newish development called Shiro Niwa) our bags went inside, but we stayed in the car.
We all went to a French supermarket "Carrefour". I suppose megamart would be a better description; the supermarket was arranged over at least three floors and so was at least three times the size of your average Australian metropolitan supermarket, and about one hundred times the size of the larger supermarket in Queenscliff.
We wandered around goggle-eyed while Akihiro and Masako shopped for food, and soon our admiring comments, "sugoi" (wow), "subarashi" (wonderful), "omoshiroi" (interesting) were sounding exceedingly hackneyed.
All that food went back to Shiro Niwa, but we still didn't get inside.
"Just one more trip."

The destination was a Japanese-style steakhouse, "The Sundial".
What a treat! There was a large, softly lit dining room furnished with (apart from the usual restauranty things) a clear plastic grand piano. The pianist/singer from time to time played and sang romantic songs of the "Stardust" variety. The waiter wore a kimono and rush sandals.
As soon as we had seated ourselves, we were helped to don little jackets to protect our clothing, then green tea was served, and hot towels were presented.
Shortly after, there were two huge beers for Colin and me and a white rice wine for everyone. The first course consisted of plates of ham with radish and onion salad plus a separate plate of salad - cucumber, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and french beans.
Not wishing to give the impression that we hadn't enjoyed the first course, we accepted the offer of second helpings.
These were followed by a clear consomme in a bowl.

Now for the main course.
The waiters, wreathed in smoke, carried in heated cast iron platters heaped with onions, sweet potato, french beans, carrots, and a large sizzling steak of Kobe beef.
Each steak appeared to be an entire piece of meat, but closer observervation showed it to be cut in slices.
The slices were to be picked up individually by chopsticks, tossed around on the hot platter, cooled in a dipping sauce, then placed at the beginning of the alimentary canal.
This beef was so tender! and so delicious!
There was also a sour plum (ume boshi) to be eaten with a bowl of rice.
Then came coffee (I was nearly bursting by now) and a single scoop of delicate fruit flavoured ice cream, perhaps apple flavour.

There was another long drive home. Although we were very tired, we were able to enjoy delicious Japanese green tea and then showers before we went to bed.
And before we went to bed we had to master the toilet, too; it was a washlette, a most practical sort of toilet, not seen in Australia (by us anyway).
The washlette looks like an ordinary sit down toilet but combines the functions of a flush toilet and a bidet. Electric switches allow the toilet user to choose and direct cleaning jets of water at the body parts needing cleaning.
Our bedroom was upstairs. We think Noriko (their daughter) had kindly gave up her bedroom for us to use. Anyway, there was a large comfortable double bed, and I fell asleep quickly.
After three hours, I woke up and lay wide awake for three hours, then it was "out like a light" till 9-00 a.m.

The next day, we visited Osaka Castle.