The Plunge

Unlike America and Europe, who either cling to their pasts fervently or embrace change and the future with enthusiasm, Japan is a land torn between preserving the rich traditions of the past and addressing the urgent cry for modernization of the present. Ancient Shinto temples dot the countryside and the cities, yet the erection of modern shopping centers and office buildings have formed concrete and steel cradles around the ancient shrines, who are now forced to endure unending darkness amidst the giant avatars of industry and commerce, whose buildings are many and tall, jutting out from the ground like prisoners desperate to escape their earthly bonds, their hands trying ever to reach the heavens above, when in reality, their shrill cries for salvation would instead be found at their feet rather than high above their heads.

At night, their neon lights illuminate the sky and cast a glow on the undergrowth below, forming a misty canopy of neon capitalism across the aged foundations of this ancient land. The sprawling cities of Osaka and Kobe take the form of large pools of water at the feet of the great mountains, and often spill up into foothills, like a pond saturated with too much rainwater. The power lines do not run along great stretches of highway and over hills in organized fashions as they do in America, but instead straddle and scale enormous mountains like divine tethers, ever roping down the great gods of the earth and keeping them at bay.

(Awaji Island)

When I first got off of the plane in Osaka, it was hard to believe I was actually in Japan. It was the kind of feeling I got when I came to Germany for the first time; a kind of hazy ecstasy. The stimuli coming in from everywhere, seeing and hearing Japanese and feeling the humidity, it all can be quite overwhelming----but in a good way. Although I knew better, I couldn't help but wonder, as I was getting though customs, waiting for my bus outside and watching as a bunch of recently disembarked uniformed high schoolers flowed out from the baggage claim area into their parents' open arms, whether I was dreaming. Still, as a boarded the bus towards Awaji Island, and watched as row after row of cool looking apartment buildings and ship yards passed by outside my bus window, the pleasant reality----that I would be spending the next two and a half months in Japan--- began to sink in. As I struggled to keep my eyes open amidst the massive jet lag, I watched the sky darken and soon enough I passed over the Akashi-Kaiko bridge ( the longest suspension bridge in the world) onto Awaji Island. It took another half hour to get to my stop, Tsuna-Ichinomoyia, where Richard (whose house I'm sitting) would be picking me up. Once I arrived at the bus stop and disembarked, Richard arrived a few minutes later and we headed off to a resuturant where I met some of Richards friends, including an older Englishman from Plymouth whose name was also Derek (spelled the same too), and the owner of a temple on the island. It was all quite fun and despite the jet lag, I managed to stay awake and down about 4 beers (or was it 6?) thanks to everyone who extended their Japanese hospitality to me and ensured that my glass was never empty. After leaving and getting back, I headed pretty much straight to bed. End of Day 1.