As a Edokko, This is funny.
Osaka Brand
committee is a public association of Osaka Prefecture, it researches
and improves
the image of Osaka and promotes the "Osaka Brand". For example,
this page tells
us Osaka is No.1, what is Osaka original. Like I wrote in the difference between Osaka and Tokyo, Osaka people
walk the fastest speed in the world, :-) they say.
Omelette with rice is originally from Osaka, the automatic ticket wicket
of station set in Osaka first in Japan, etc,. This page tells a result of research about image for
Osaka in Japan.
Top 3 are.
1. The city of food, a kitchen of
Japan. (I agree! food is delicious and cheap.)
2.The city with the
common touch, Osaka people nice and friendly. (Tokyo people are cold,
Osaka people are friendly. My foreign friends will agree. )
3. The city of water, river. (Super dirty river
"Yodo river" goes through Osaka)
Then this time they research guide books and guide sites in the
Internet in 22 foreign countries, "What do foreign guides tell
about
Osaka?" Then they became so disappointed and angry. The
Brand committee does not tell the exactly name of resource but
"Travel guide
pages of one of American big search site "
talk
so negatively about Osaka. Hmm then I checked Yahoo Travel. Ha ha look at
this.
"The urban equivalent of the Elephant Man, OSAKA, Japan's
third largest city after Tokyo and Yokohama, yearns to be loved despite
its ugliness. It may well lack the pockets of beauty and refinement found
in nearby Kyoto".
Wow!
Ugly?? Harsh!
"Osakans
may greet each other saying "Mo kari-makka?" (Are you making any
money?), but they also know how to enjoy themselves once work has
stopped."
Um, work has stopped?
They are so free and easy?? At least people from Osaka have the reputation
of being very good businessmen.
Wikipedia says this.
"Osaka people are considered by other Japanese to be
rowdy and boisterous with a robust and coarse sense of
humour, "
I am beginning to feel sorry for Osaka
now. Weep weep weep.
Then the U.S guide book, Chinese guide book introduce Osaka as the Yakuza
city. Well, actually
yamaguchi gumi is in Osaka, but it is not
the biggest topic, I
suppose. Osaka brand committee knows the image of Osaka in the world. and
they want to change it. Yes, I understand.
Gambare!! Osaka.
Anyway, now I realize this is completely wrong, "Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, the internationally famous film director, started his career as a comedian in Osaka." Takeshi started his career in Asakusa Tokyo. He is one of comedians who don't speak Osaka ben." I will send a mail to Yahoo. "Thank you for nice and funny guide for Osaka, but only Takeshi part is wrong." :-p.
Hi There
If you go to Osaka, I suppose most people will love there, people are friendly, their talking way is relax, food is cheap, Osaka is powerful. But when I read this type article, when they try to say Osaka is better than Tokyo, I couldn't understand why they care so image.
Posted by: Mari | Wednesday, October 12, 2005 at 07:51 AM
haha, in defence of osaka, i love the city! so much good and cheap food! and the people are so helpful and cheerful at that! i have lots of really nice osaka memories... =)
Posted by: cecile | Monday, October 10, 2005 at 11:39 AM
FYI Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner got their start in the Toronto Second City troupe, they are not from Chicago.
Posted by: Charles | Monday, October 10, 2005 at 07:54 AM
"The urban equivalent of the Elephant Man." Nice!
Posted by: noah | Monday, October 10, 2005 at 07:47 AM
That is funny that some guidebook introduces Osaka as 'the Yakuza city'. Many Japanese people still think of Al Capone and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre when they think of Chicago, sister city to Osaka. And there are quite a few famous comedians that got their start in Chicago: John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Radner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bill Murray. So, I guess there are a couple of things in common there...
Posted by: Claire (クレア) | Sunday, October 09, 2005 at 01:00 PM