Tokyo is to Osaka what New York is to California

My oldest daughter’s high school class took a three-day field trip to the Western Japan city of 大阪 (Osaka).

All of the photos in this post were taken by her during this trip.

The headquarters of the Japanese "Glico Candy Co.", Osaka, Japan

Have you ever visited Osaka? Have you ever visited Tokyo?
Did you notice how different they food and the people are?

Some people say that Tokyo is famous for fashion and Osaka is famous for food.
Do you know the delicious Japanese dishes 「お好み焼き」 (Okonomiyaki) and 「たこ焼き」 (Takoyaki)? Did you know that they are both “Osaka dishes”?

That’s not to say that Tokyo doesn’t have delicious food. In fact, Tokyo has more Michelin Star restaurants than any other city in the world.

And Tokyo has original dishes as well. Have you ever tried 「もんじゃ焼き」 (Monja-yaki)?
I guess you could call it “Tokyo-style Okonomiyaki”.

People from Osaka are more outgoing and friendly compared to people in Tokyo. A large number of Japan’s most famous comedians live and work in Tokyo but they’re actually from Osaka.
People in Osaka are famous for asking shop clerks for a discount when they shop. But that’s not done in Tokyo…here people just pay the listed price. People in Tokyo don’t feel comfortable “bargaining” for a discount.

Personally I think Osaka is a fun place to visit but I feel more comfortable in Tokyo than any other city. I enjoy living here. It has become “home”.

Anyways here are the rest of the photos that my daughter took that don’t have her or any of her friends in them:

The famous "Kani-Doraku" seafood restaurant

A type of "Takoyaki" called "Akashiyaki"

"Carl Corn Puffs" snack logo

The famous "Kuidaore-Tarou" statue

A train advertising "Universal Studios Japan" amusement park, which is in Osaka

Entrance to Universal Studios Japan (USJ) with X-mas decorations

Snoopy and Hello Kitty "Nikuman" meat-rolls at Universal Studios Japan. I guess Universal Studios in America doesn't have these.

Is "Hello Kitty" at the Unversal Studios parks in the U.S. too?

The giant X-mas tree at USJ.

Back To The Future 25th anniversary

In the summer of 1985 one of the greatest movies made was released.
“Back To The Future” hit the theaters when I was fifteen years old…close to the age of the lead character in the movie played by Michael J. Fox.

I’m of the generation of the ’80s (often called “Generation X”), so watching a movie about a teenager of the ’80s* going back thirty years (from 1985) to 1955 and experiencing a type of “culture shock” was fun to watch…at least pulled off by the excellent actors Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Crispin Glover it was.

(*Actually Michael J. Fox is nine years older than me. He wasn’t a teenager in 1985…but twenty-four years old.)

Anyways, it’s hard to believe that the first “Back To The Future” movie is already twenty-five years old!
They could make a remake of “Back To The Future” about a kid of today’s generation going back to 1985 and it could probably have just as many “generation gap” gags.

To celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of “Back To The Future“, Universal Studios is releasing the entire “Back To The Future” trilogy together in one-set on high-definition Blu-Ray discs on 2010 October 26.
This new set will contain over two hours of bonus material including sixteen deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage and “Tales from the Future,” a new six-part retrospective documentary.

Here’s the ad for the upcoming “Back To The Future” 25th anniversary re-release on Blu-Ray:

Compare that to the original 1985 trailer for “Back To The Future“:

And it seems that the “Scream Awards” (which recognizes the best horror, sci-fi and fantasy movies) honored the 25th anniversary of “Back To The Future” a few days ago with a reunion of the cast.
Here’s an ad for it:

Hangover

I didn’t use my computer yesterday or Friday because on Friday after work I drank too much…and I had a bad 二日酔い (hangover) all day yesterday.

I had been a member of the PTA at my daughters’ 小学校 (Elementary School), but my youngest daughter started 中学校 (Jr. High School) last month so I’m no longer on the PTA.

So, on Friday, the PTA had a party at an 居酒屋 (Japanese izakaya restaurant) to welcome new members and say goodbye to former members.

It was an 飲み放題 (all-you-can-drink), so we all drank too much!

It was fun…but I paid for it the following day!

I like to drink beer everyday, but I don’t normally drink enough to get “drunk“. I don’t really like being drunk…and I especially don’t like suffering through a 二日酔い (hangover).

Anyhow, I feel much better today. But it’s raining today so the five of us are just gonna relax at home. Right now, my daughters are at the video rental store* (* actually, it’s “DVDs” now, of course…but I still call them 「ビデオ」 (“videos”)).
They asked me to recommend a movie that we’d all enjoy…since I’ve rented movies from my teen years such as “The Goonies“, “Karate Kid“, “Back To The Future“, “E.T.“, etc that they enjoyed, so they trust my judgement :).
I told them to get “Crocodile Dundee“.

Also, my wife bought a couple cans of 「ウルトラ・サイダー」 (“Ultra Cider“) for me so I could something easy-on-the-stomach to drink yesterday because of my hangover.
「ウルトラ・サイダー」 (“Ultra Cider“) comes in cans that look like 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman’s) costume.
I wrote a post last March about 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) that mentions these cider drinks…click here to read it.

Here’s the cans she bought me: