Last weekend, Natalie and I treated ourselves with a trip to Osaka to go see Le Cirque Du Soleil's KOOZA show. Being half Quebecois, I'm really proud that such a production is from where I'm from. It was also Natalie's first time seeing them, so we had to jump on this opportunity.
I don't have much to say about the show except that it was amazing. It's just much more than a circus. It's more than the sum of it's parts: it's a work of art. The costumes and stage production (including lights) were top notch. You could tell that each performer was one of the best at what they do. The clowns were hilarious and the music was incredible. Every part of the production came together to form a true masterpiece. I love Cirque Du Soleil. So far I've seen two: The Beatles LOVE show and Kooza. Kooza was much more about the performance and the acrobatic acts while the Beatles LOVE was more about how the costumes and dancing fit with the incredible music of the Beatles. I'm not sure which one I liked more, but all I know is that I want to keep seeing more of these shows.
It was kind of strange seeing it in Japan. The audience is so tame. Everyone seemed to enjoy it tremendously, but their reactions are so respectful. Nobody gets up and yells "YEAH" or "WOO" to cheer them on. Everyone just respectfully claps. It also seemed like some of the Japanese didn't quite understand some of the humor incorporated by the clowns as it was a bit I don't know. I guess you could say it seemed like some of it could've offended a few people. Not us though, it was hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and I can't wait to see another one.
Although we went to see the show, we weren't going to skip out on Osaka itself. Being the 3rd biggest city in Japan, it was quite a contrast from where we live. It is modern Japan. It felt really nice to be somewhere full of life and youth. It was happening. We realized that we missed the big city. So much to do and so much to see. We really didn't explore too much but we did see the Shinsaibashi-Namba-Americakura area of Osaka. It's a huge nightlife slash restaurant slash shopping area full (and I mean full) of people. There is so much to do and see, and with so many lights. It's a visceral treat for the eyes.
We went shopping and bought some cool stuff and we also tried Osaka style Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki. Okonomiyaki (the Japanese pancake) is different than in Hiroshima. In Osaka, the ingredients are mixed together whereas in Hiroshima, the ingredients are expertly stacked upon each other. I prefer the Osaka one so far but I was really intoxicated for the other one. Osaka is also famous for Takoyaki, Japanese squid balls. These things are really delicious!
Overall, I had a great vacation with Natalie. I can't wait to go back to Osaka as it's also famous for it's nightlife.
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