A Namba Afternoon

I spent the afternoon wandering around Namba in Osaka a few weeks ago. I think it was in my first year living in Japan that a guy at Starbucks tried chatting me up by complimenting my attire. Although I wasn't interested in flirting with him, I was kind enough to return the compliment--he was nicely dressed--and he told me he got his outfit in Namba. This led me to vaguely assume Namba was some kind of fashion haven and recently I've been wanting some rust coloured chinos. After seeing Matthew Broderick wearing rust trousers and brown shirt on Only Murders in the Building, I wanted to make more rust and brown outfits. I see people around here wearing rust coloured trousers all the time and finally decided I wanted a pair but, oddly enough, I don't see any in the local shops. I think they must get sold out really fast.

So I went to Namba and didn't find any. It was an interesting afternoon, though. I've never seen so many foreigners, and all of them apparently wealthy, since I was in Tokyo. There was a middle aged French couple who seemed to be lost. There was a 20 something redheaded Australian girl loudly arguing with her parents who were on the other side of a busy sidewalk. It was strange to overhear so much English.

Who wants takoyaki (octopus in fried batter balls)? I do.

I saw a lot of artwork. Part of Namba Station for some reason has a bunch of reproductions of art from the Chicago Museum of Art.

I dug the Degas.

Along the river, there was some local art.

I also saw Spider-Man:

X Sonnet #1743

Familiar bugs protect the hill from death.
Behind the varied plants, the eaters live.
Behold the leagues of ash and take a breath.
For time has come to stay and space to give.
Reduced returns have paradise in hawk.
Assembled brothers barter music rights.
Successful kills could feed the hungry clock.
Although the ice would fain retreat from fights.
Emerging fast from dusk's the pallid face.
Beneath a starless eve, the workers sweat.
Revolving pools deny the angel's grace.
Below the busy froth, crustaceans bet.
Diluted honey rains above the woods.
The critters don emrboidered magic hoods.