Friday, March 16, 2007, afternoon:
is traced through the city by subway, and arrive in the district Prefectural Gymnasium ... with quite late (around 14h40) because Jay thought he had lost all his money (which would allow him to make a small comeback in France a month or two later), and that we had trained in this galley ....
short, you imagine it was still a little tense, "Damn, it's still not every day that goes to a sumo tournament .... it + notes 500 balls," I'll spare you the names of birds.
short, once out of the Namba Station had to find something to eat because we really starting to go hungry! I spotted the morning a few eating places, and do it quickly, I decided to take an interest in bento (lunch box breakfast).
same time it is great because since we're in Japan we had not experienced it yet .... [The only time the opportunity had presented actually was when we took the Nozomi, but I had not stopped to buy because I found the price a bit excessive (~ 1000Y) - photo above from http://www.japannewbie.com/2008/02/29/bullet-train-fast-food/ ]
The property which ns ns are addressed to achieve the application (it had to wait a bit ... so re
) but we finally did not regret for quality and variety were really formatting, and this has contributed to our delight during the tournament. Go! On file with the Gymnasium .... ~ 1hr late, but hey .... you can not do anything about it.
The location is great and populous:
We will guide and we'll find our box quite easily: it is a little "framework" of 4 squares (4 pads) so that the holding the cross-legged sitting is required, so luckily no one joined us all the afternoon because it would have been impossible to hold like that for hours! We therefore install
quietly, one tries to interfere as little as possible and enjoy a max.
There's atmosphere, the enthusiasm, but not like in a football game: here we feel that there is a certain amount of respect following the religion of the past, something ceremonial in the organization of events, and at the same time that all this is a "celebration", a popular game: the Japanese seem to take a simple pleasure to encourage one or other of the parties, and echoing the fighters "play" with public force grin and parades ...
Below the video of a rather heated battle:
The Sumo is a narcotic and incessant hawkers époumoné brush (es), dealer (his) ice cream (CRIA criiiiimm !!!), tea, onigiri, and so on of the best .... It is just that: move over and over again ... nobody stays in place! It surprised me in this well-organized country, and where everyone is usually rather quiet, and unobtrusive.
Here, during the Sumo, it keeps moving, again and again. To top it all, we felt that the meetings were an opportunity to make paris (no money since forbidden) because we will scroll, all the afternoon round, little missionaries, their hands filled bags more or less bulky which filled their recipients.
(Still upset, kind ....) In summary, a very nice experience that sumo tournament! The opportunity to live a little more per hour Japanese to appreciate the mystical side of the sport, and the technicality of its competitors. The icing on the cake, my better half has also, been really excited about this activity!
The tournament just ended (18h), everyone packs his things and leave the premises quietly and quickly. The combat area (sacred) is immediately covered and is closely monitored to ensure that nobody comes pollute!
We reach out so fast, Osaka ready to discover a little more ...
Prior to save the neighborhood, we will take a little Okonomiyaki, another specialty of Osaka, it was not miss it! ^ ^
I will not "go on, and" on it: lovers of Japan are largely what he knows or you will easily find the info through your search engine favorite .... but I can ask vs. passage: Did you know that food was a Buddhist ritual introduced in 1700?
Come on, next step: Den Den Town , electronic or neighborhood of Osaka, what do you we do not duplicate! : P The occasion again to note that here, in every little shop, you can always find happiness (cheap camera lens in particular)! But I will not crack.
We will spend too much time, it was not planned, just that it was on the path of what was been the climax, the "star attraction" of our trip: the Umeda Sky Building (off site HERE ) of Hiroshi Hara , the father of the peculiar Kyoto Station, remember.
The place is also called the floating garden, or in VO Kuchu Teien Tenbodai
As we shall see, nothing of botany in there, it's "just" he s 'acts in a terrace, an observatory, accessible for a small 700Y / p, which lies above the 39th floor, approx. 173m above the ground, and from which one can enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of all Osaka.
Somewhat unique to Japan, which meant that it has been able to enjoy: the place is open till 22h! Yatta!
(and yeah, I had everything well planned! 
) We 'is made welcome by Solal, the mascot of the place
,..... uh not really 2 hostesses just tired of this end of the day, but we are delighted to welcome as it should be here in Japan. As is not too late (21h a little) we tour the place floor by floor, calmly
- I crops here and there some SwingCard which constitute small treasures off to our future expedition to Japan!
- We'll find a magnificent model of the Edo period:
- We'll take some nice poses in a place that we thought it would be a classic place to shoot weddings, etc ..., we has therefore benefited:
And finally we reach the top, and take time to enjoy
although it was still a bit cold! ;)
This was the moment to put a little time for me ............................. to realize that this wonderful trip unfortunately touched its end, the first time I "felt" that all this began to escape a bit ..... and the first pinch hit in the heart .... ... all good things must end they say.
Ok, we will close the Umeda, and it will be time to return home.
We were not really decided to leave I think, because that day we will take the last metro then the last train and arrived in Kyoto (!).... we have even more opportunities to ride the train station-hotel walking after midnight because not a single transit in business!
What a funny town that OSAKA! I do not know what to think of it: sometimes attractive because, as in many places in Japan, is known to marry modernity and history, sometimes repugnant, because the city is dirty and polluted ..... This is not a habit in Japan! There in Osaka we met graffiti and tags ...
Here in Osaka, I felt that a spirit of conquest, even more, freedom hovering ... but without the rigor and fervor useful, and so characteristic in Japan ..... Somehow, in the spirit that hovers over this city, there is a little the west .... and you lose efficiency. What a pity!
BONUS: sumo tournaments is also an opportunity to meet the "beautiful" world
: 
Bye bye.
ps: thank you to some enthusiasts met on Info Sumo.net who reassured me in organizing this "activity" spinning me some tips and information.
