Changing impressions - Integration

It has been almost 4 months since I got back to Japan. And 2 years than I am abroad during while I have been in Italy, Japan, 1 year in England, Scotland, Czech Republic, Greece, Latvia, Estonia, 1 semester in Korea, Netherland, China, 1 semester in Japan.


Therefore, when I got here, I was not all about discovering new things, as it was what I had done restlessly so far.
I went to Japan in the hope to settle a new life without too many suprises. Challenge ? Yes it was, but avoiding travelling too much around, seeing my old friends,

as well as making new good friendships,

getting an internship for the next 6 months,
http://www.oeff.jp/

getting a part time job with cool colleagues,

getting to know how to get around Osaka, looking for an appartment, finding it in a nice place ideally located, having almost the regular life I would have if I was in my home country...

I think I got very close too that.

So rather than changing impressions, which implies something that escapes my will, I would say changed impressions. Although I know Japan is still full of mystery, I knew what to expect from the fact of moving in another country, and I was able to make of Japan kind of a new home, a land welcoming enough so that I feel good and relaxed. The only place I am looking forward to leave is university as I am about to graduate and feel I can not stand still anymore on chair and need some practical work. Workplace so far, whatever baito in my club, volunteer in some movie festival in Yamagata

and Okinawa, intern in Osaka European Festival, is what I enjoy most here. While making some money and getting experience, I feel more than ever integrated and I can't count the times I had difficulties to say whether the guy cross the street was Asian or not.

And I have been ask if I was HYBRID

I think this is very typical of the processus of integration in a foreign culture. I remember 2 years ago when I landed for the 1st time here, I had the feeling that EVERYONE would stare at me in the street, public transports... Which no one is doing now. Have I become so transparent ? I think so in the way that, the more you feel integrated, the less behaviours that may attract attention you do. And this something reccurent in newcomers stories about Japan.

I enjoy being accepted by the community as a foreigner, and I believe that to enjoy Japan fully, you need to keep in mind that you are not Japanese. I respect my host culture as well as I respect mine.

アメ村 - The pleasure quarter

Amemura is a central zone in Osaka located close to the youngest and active districts of Shinsaibashi and Namba. As one of the best place to shop by day

Some shop open late in the night

Big Step : big shopping center

Still cold but swimming suits already on sale

its nightlife is also considered as a perfect moment to allow all those fashion victims to show off in in what they spent their money during the day.

Even the bikes are fashionable

The other lights of Amemura's nightlife consists in its amusement place of all kind. Osaka counts unnumbered bars, izakaya, clubs, kyabakura, host and hostess clubs, snacks, soapland... All those place more or less related to the mizu shobai : sex industry or only places to get drinks.
Amemura's main Izakaya spots are Doyadoya, with a all you can drink every 30mn for 280 Y

Located in the street right near OPA, it gets such a lot of customer than during weekends a 2H time limit has been set.
The traditional and inevitable Toriki, a selection of chicken brochette with any part of the chicken, ranging from the heart to the skin, to the gristle, to the rump...

Some bars you can wonder whether they actually belong to the Mizu Shobai class.

In Amemura are also located ones of the best dancing nightclubs in Osaka like Triangle bordering the place with the same name 三角公園

Climax on the dancefloor
And no less famous but more considered as a pick-up club ; Grand Cafe.

Plus a number of darker underground places : Lunar, Suite, LL, Vano...

Eventually, although salaray man places like Kyobashi largely outpassed Amemura in this field, you can still find a lot of places related to the sex industry, ranging from Love Hotels which I am sure are

waonderful

with an affordable price, but you have to be fast,

to places soft-prostitution places and even full course 風俗 places although forbidden by the Japanese Law.

What also makes Amemura very popular amound youngsters is its stylish,

some man-like streetlights

some shop wall covered with a stylish paint

and as its name Ame= America, Mura = Village asserts foreign like atmosphere.

Some flag up the stairs in Jamaican like shop

American food which are not without reminding the American spots in Okinawa (see http://franpanese-rantings.blogspot.com/2010/04/okinawa-in-nutshell.html)

Foreigners of any kind are indeed very present and they usually gather in the precendtly called Triangle place, get some drinks, have some chat, mix with Japanese before moving to the numerous amusement places around.
For a more detailed perspective on foreigners in Amemura => http://h-murakami.blogspot.com/
With my Kenyan friend, we have got our pictures taken by this young photographer, although it does not seem that our photo retained its attention so far...

As well as attracting japanese people genuinly interested in foreign culures and language,


it also attracts Japanese guys acting in a pretty much western like way, hooking on girls and giving the whole olace a *dangerous* reputation to hang out by night for girls alone.

I have myself been accosted by those how scaring guys.

Eventually, while being the best place in Osaka to show off, Osaka is also recommendable to any foreigner in its 20's/30's to get started. People are easy-going, cheap food and alcohol are everywhere and a good number of part-time job are available all around even if you do not speak Japanese.

Lost in Translation ?