Chaos

I love Osaka - it's a great vibrant city. It's a wonderful place to spend time people-watching or shopping (or people-watching and shopping.) Trying to understand Japanese fashion is an experience in chaotic colour combinations, layered effects and textures. I don't claim to have any idea what is in fashion or out (either here or anywhere else). All I know is that the Japanese don't think in the same way I do. I must admit that my personal "fashion" / style involves practical clothing predominantly in black and earth mother tones (browns, golds, oranges, copper, red, etc.) The Japanese combine colours in a way that I don't understand. I find that often there are just too many colours and these are frequently colours that I don't feel combine. I understand that this is a purely western European point of view and that I am biased to this point of view, but it is my opinion none the less. Anyway, colours - too many and strangely combined. For example, green and grey or pink and orange, or red, purple and orange or grey, blue, yellow and pink. Then there's the layer thing. What's with all the vest tops, different styles and straps everywhere? I don't get it. Do you really have a bikini on under your 2 tops? What's happening here? Something else I don't understand is the use of skirts and dresses over jeans. How does that happen? Little frilly flimsy skirts over turned up jeans? On top of that what's with these funny little not quite pop socks? I'm not even sure I can explain this. Imagine below the ankle sports socks, then make them in some kind of tights material, preferably frilly. Then put them under you spiky shoes or sandals. What is that? And talking of shoes, will you learn how to buy shoes which fit and then how to walk in them?

Anyway, my initial thoughts on chaos in Osaka weren't actually going to be about clothes but about the underground (subway.) In general the train / subway system is Osaka is very good. It's clean, seems safe, is not too expensive and the trains are frequent. The lines are easy to understand and there are lots of good maps. So, where's the chaos? Try huge stations with 15 or 20 exits / entrances! How do I know where to get out? At some stations, such as the one near the castle, I must admit there are large maps showing you which exit to use and then signs showing you how to find this exit. But so many others are just major confusion. Take today. I needed to go to a bookshop in the Kita (Umeda) part of Osaka. There are several stations in the area so I chose the Umeda tube station as it was the most convenient for where I was at the time. So, I get there, tube map in hand, local map in hand and then find that I have no idea where to go. The station is vast (though I was expecting this.) There are signs all over the place but do I know what exit I need to use? Do I hell. So, I choose the ticket barrier closest to me and wander around aimlessly for a couple of minutes until bumping into a map where a Japanese couple are arguing about which exit they need to use. Once they move on I take a look at the map and become even more confused as the map has north to the east and so I have to move my map and try and work out what's happening. Finally, I work out that the best exit would be 17 or 18. So far so good. But, where are these exits? Over to my right somewhere. I go in the general direction for ages and find several exits, but not 17 or 18. I'm now lost again. I look round helplessly (and hopelessly) but people are either hurrying to their destinations or are looking at maps and frowning as much as I am. I opt for going out the nearest exit (15) and trying to find my way from the outside. Doesn't work. So I end up going into a shop and asking for directions to where I need to go. Chaos. (Incidentally their "Walk 4 blocks and then turn right" takes me 20 minutes not 10 and I end up half the way back to where I had started from before I realise I'm doing something wrong and finally get going in the right direction.)

Conclusion? Having lots of entrances / exits to these tube stations makes them feel more convenient as there's always an exit nearby! But it means you have to walk miles in the station. However, if you are going to have so many exits there need to be more maps and clear directions to where to go or we'll never get out of the station!

1st August 2004.