Despite their combined length of about 19 hours, my flights out were smooth and relatively painless. I flew from Hartford to Dallas to Osaka, Japan. The flight out of Dallas was on a brand new Boeing 777, the plane designed to replace the 747. I was able to sleep for most of the flight so I was fairly well rested when I arrived. The airport I flew into is called Osaka Kansai. I was built in 1998 and is one of the largest and most efficient airports in the world. It was built on a man-made island in a bay. The airport is all steel and glass and seemed to work more efficiently than any other one I have been to. I got in at about 3:00 local time and picked up my bags and cleared customs. I had been having a recurring nightmare that Pete would not be there to meet me but my fears were soon dispelled when I found him waiting for me. I changed some money and then we took an hour and fifteen minute train ride from the airport to his apartment.
Osaka seems like a gritty working class community. It is the third largest city in Japan. It is very crowded and highly industrial. The run down buildings and lack of green space make it seem unattractive and confining.
Trains connect everything here and most people ride the rails or a bike to get around. The trains are expensive, a round trip ticket from Pete's apartment to the center of the city and back is about fifteen dollars. Upon arriving at Pete's apartment I forget to remove my shoes and his Japanese roommate makes a crack at me. It is the custom to never wear shoes in a person's home. I quickly shower and Pete and I go downstairs to a restaurant located on the ground floor of his apartment. I get noodles that seem very healthy but taste excellent. We get two meals and a beer for ten dollars. I am getting better with chop sticks but it still slows me down a little. Pete informs me that the only way to eat noodles is to slurp them. This takes a little getting used to but soon I am slurping like a native.
Pete Calls his girlfriend after lunch and we make plans to go downtown to the Shinsaibashi district of Osaka at around eight. Pete and I catch a train and promise to meet the girls later. Downtown is a sprawling commercial area with dozens of clubs, bars and restaurants that are open all night. We emerge from the subway under a covered street that seems to go on forever.