While visiting Japan, I made it a point to connect with locals and immerse myself in their culture. Here are some of the people I met and their stories.
Omohide is a 70 year old business owner in Kyoto. She's been running the same Okonomiyaki (a type of savoury pancake) stand since it first opened in 1940. I stumbled upon this gem -- which consists of 2 seats and a window to serve food from -- while walking to a highly rated restaurant on Trip Advisor. I'm glad I went to Omohide's stand instead. Unexpected experiences often offer far more than the popular beaten path.
Hiro, originally from the Aichi prefecture in Nagoya, spent most of his life exploring Japan, as well as abroad. Being an outgoing person and a great host; it was natural for him to open his Osaka speakeasy bar Nayuta. First opened in 2014, Nayuta has no signage and a hidden entrance, but that doesn’t stop people from filling up the bar every night.
Paying tribute to the golden era of cocktails, Nayuta boasts nuique & homemade liqueurs, bitters, and infusions. Inside, it’s warm and charming atmosphere are only topped by their drinks. Nayuta has no menu, instead, Hiro encourages you to talk with the him and his staff to get to know them. The drinks are then crafted to perfection with your taste in mind. If you know, you know.
Human connection drives the experience at Nayuta, and I’m grateful to have met Hiro.
Walking down the bustling sidewalk in Nara, a man stood peacefully, wearing a Japanese traditional monk garb called 修験道 (shugendo). His head tilted downwards, he was a perfect juxtaposition of the chaos that was going on at the nearby food fair. Silence somehow emanated around him as passerby’s left a gap as to not disturb him. I took a picture from afar and kept walking.
The scene, however, stuck with me. I turned around and made my way over. I slowly excused myself; he lifted his head and smiled. I apologized once more and introduced myself before asking him what he was doing. “Meditating,” he replied. And so we began our conversation about what I was doing there, why I could speak Japanese, and a little about his life:
Jida is a 62 year old monk, and comes to the Nara park area every day to meditate and visit shrines. He’s spent most of his life traveling Japan and is now a proud Nara resident.
I thanked him for his time, and asked to take his portrait. Before leaving he gave me a tip, “if you cut through the museum grounds you can get to Nara park about 15 minutes faster.”
Taku is the owner of Flowp, a fashion boutique in the American District of Osaka, Amerikamura. Not only does he run the boutique, Taku is owner and chief designer of Shonnen Jetter, a local and unique streetwear brand. Walking down towards the centre of Amerikamura I was immediately drawn to the 3 panel Speed Racer comic in the window (see below), and stopped my friend Allan to tell him we were going inside.
Looking around the store, I noted the unique clothing designs, collectibles, and skateboards. I tried on two jackets with the same 3 panel design that I saw in the window. Taku came over and introduced himself, telling me he liked the black jacket better -- so did I. The jacket became an immediate staple in my wardrobe. I even wore it for the next 3 days straight. Later, I went back to look around and got to know Taku a little better:
Taku is a 36 year old native from Kobe, who moved to Osaka in ‘99 for school and never left. A year and a half ago, Taku opened Flowp to start selling Shonen Jetter among other streetwear brands.
Ryu grew up in Chiba and moved to Osaka at the young age of six. Three years later, at only nine years old, Ryu decided to teach himself how to play the drums. At such a young age, his passion for drumming ebbed and flowed — as we’ve all experienced. After 3 years of seriously drumming, the passion faded. It wasn’t until Ryu turned 20 that he decided to commit completely to the rhythmic beat of drumming. Looking for bandmates proved to be difficult; so Ryu took to the streets.
At 27 years old, Ryu started bucket drumming, filling the streets of Osaka with wild and entrancing beats. As I watched Ryu, onlookers were enthralled, compelled to dance and laugh. 2 days later when I went back to grab a drink nearby, not only did I find the same large crowd, but this time other musicians jamming along with Ryu. His energy and enthusiasm bleed through him and flow into the city streets night after night.
It’s not about the quality of what you have, but how you make use of what you do have.