Ukuhambela iJaphani: Ukukhamba Phakathi Kwemsindo Yezulu, Impempe Nama-Blue Samurai

Ukusakazwa bukhoma kweNdebe Yomhlaba esiphambanweni somgwaqo sase-Shibuya, kulapho uhambo lwami lwaseJaphani lwaqala khona ngempela. Ngehora lesithoba ebusuku, amarobhothi abomvu akhanya kanyekanye ezinhlangothini zone, abahamba ngezinyawo bavinjelwa ngaphandle kwemigca yokuwela, kufana nembiza yamanzi azokubila kodwa angakabili. Isikrini esiphezu kwesakhiwo se-TSUTAYA sasibonisa izithombe zeqembu leJaphani ngaphambi komdlalo, ama-jezi aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka entanta esixukwini. Indoda eya emsebenzini yafaka isikhwama sayo ngaphansi kwekhwapha, yathumela umlayezo wezwi kozakwabo: "Nangabe banqoba namhlanje, umhlangano wakusasa kufanele ukhanselwe." Abafundi besikolo esiphakemeyo abaseduze bahleka, kodwa akekho owamemezela kakhulu. Injabulo yabantu baseJaphani ivame ukucindezelwa emphinjeni kuqala, bese kuthi lapho impempe isikhala, kube ngukudonsa komoya komgwaqo wonke.

Ngaphambi kokuthi umdlalo uqale, ngathenga i-oden esitolo esilula. Utamatisi wawubiliswe waze wakhanya, ukunambitheka kwe-kombu kugcwele eceleni komqoko wephepha. Umthengisi wangibuza ukuthi ngiyayifuna yini i-mustard, ngangingakezwa kahle, kodwa umfana ogqoke ijezi lenombolo yesi-7 yeJaphani owayengemumva wasesengitshele "sukoshi." Wakhomba isikrini wathi u-Mitoma Kaoru ungowase-Kanagawa, waphinda wathi abantwana abavela e-Kawasaki, ngaphansi kwezinyawo zabo kukhona umoya wenkundla eseceleni komfula. Ngalandela isandla sakhe ngabheka ekhoneni lomgwaqo, amatekisi, izambulela, amakhadi okweseka, kanye nomusi wesitolo esilula kwakuhlangene. Ngalowo mzuzu ibholo kwakungeyona indaba yezemidlalo, kodwa kwakuyiphunga le-Tokyo ebusuku.

Ngosuku olulandelayo ngaya e-Yokohama, lapho engaqala khona ukuqonda ukuthi kungani u-Endo Wataru ehlala ebizwa ngabalandeli beJaphani ngokuthi 'ukaputeni othuleyo.' Umoya wasolwandle wase-Minato Mirai uphephula umuntu, ngaphandle kwe-Red Brick Warehouse kukhona ubaba ofundisa umntwana ukudlulisa ibholo, umntwana ngamunye emisa ibholo kude kakhulu, ubaba akamthethisi, usebenzisa ithiphu yonyawo ukulibuyisela ibholo, athi: "もう一回." Phinda futhi. U-Endo wasuka e-Yokohama, kamuva wadlala e-Europe waba ngumdlali ongagqamile kodwa uhlala esendaweni efanele. I-Yokohama nayo injalo: ulwandle lubanzi, kodwa idolobho alinamsindo, lifana nomdlali wasemuva, lisekela konke ukujabula ngokuzolileyo.

Lapho lina izulu e-Arashiyama yase-Kyoto, umsindo uqala ngokuwa emaqabungeni e-bamboo, bese uwela esambuleleni, ekugcineni ungena emfuleni. Izivakashi eziseceleni kwe-Togetsukyo Bridge zehle ngesigamu, umshayeli wekhalitshi wabeka ithawula ehlombe, amasondo edlula ematsheni amanzi, enza umsindo omncane wokuklabalasa. Ngacasha endlini encane yetiye, umnikazi wamisa itiye le-hōjicha elifudumele etafuleni, umabonakude umunyu ukusakaza izindaba zezemidlalo. Isithombe sika-Kubo Takefusa savela esikrinini, wathi indaba ka-Kubo yase-Nara ixoxwa ngabalandeli abaningi base-Kansai, kufana nokuxoxa ngomntwana ozokhabela emgwaqweni omncane wedolobho elidala aye enkundleni yomhlaba. Ngaphandle kwewindi, insimbi yasethempelini yaqala ukukhala kancane, ngacabanga ngempempe yebholo: enye yenza umuntu ame, enye yenza umuntu agijime, kodwa eJaphani, zombili zikudinga ukuthi uqale ulalele umthetho.

Ngemva kwemvula ntambama, ngahamba ngendlela encane ye-bamboo. Amathonsi amanzi asemhlangeni awela entanyeni yangemumva, kubanda okwenza umuntu ahlehle. Isitolo sezipho esiseduze sihambisa izinto ezifana namakhiye we-Blue Samurai, kanye nekati le-Maneki-neko namabhisikidi e-matcha emgqeni ofanayo. Amantombazane amabili esitolo axoxa ngeqembu, elinye lithi u-Mitoma kufanele angene msinyana, elinye lithi u-Kubo unamandla wokudabula umugqa wokuvikela. Amazwi abo aphansi, baphinde babonga umthengisi ngokunemba lapho bekhokha. Kumuntu ohambela iJaphani okokuqala, lokhu kuzithiba kungahunyushwa kalula njengokungabi namusa; kodwa uma nje ubuke umdlalo nabo, uzobona ukuthi uthando lugotshwe kahle, lufakwe ephaketheni, lukhishwe kuphela lapho kudluliswa ibholo elibalulekile. Emaphaketheni omsebenzi kukhona ibheji yeqembu, kumacala wefoni kukhona umdlali, ngaphakathi kwe-train akunamsindo, kodwa kuyo yonke i-offensive, wonke umuntu ubamba umoya ngesikhathi esisodwa.

Ekushintsheni e-Kyoto Station, ngahlangana nendoda endala egqoke isudi. Yayiphethe iphephandaba lantambama, ikhasi lezemidlalo ligotshwe ngaphandle, ikhona lephepha lalimanziswe yimvula. Lapho ingibona ngigqolozele isihloko, yathatha isinyathelo sayisa iphephandaba ngakimi, yakhomba isithombe seqembu leJaphani yathi: "強くなったね." Sesinamandla. Akukho ukuziqhayisa, akukho nokuchaza, kufana nokuthi namhlanje imvula ekugcineni yehlile. Lapho isitimela singena, yasonga iphephandaba, yangivumela ngekhanda, yanyamalala kanye nesixuku kuma-escalator. Lawo mazwi amafitshane, anomfutho omkhulu kunokuphawula okude njengokushisa kwebholo leJaphani.

Ekufikeni e-Osaka, i-Dotonbori ikudonsela phansi ngephunga. Ama-teppan e-takoyaki abhema intuthu emhlophe, usoso umnandi nokukhanya; iphunga lamafutha esitolo se-kushiage linamathela ebhantshini, udlule ebhodini le-Glico ungeke ulisuse. Isikrini esikhulu eseceleni komfula saphinda sabonisa amagoli eqembu leJaphani, izivakashi ziphakamisa amafoni, amadoda amadala endawo agqolozele ukudluliswa kwebholo kokugcina, athi: "そこ、うまい." Lapho, kuhle ngempela. Eduze kwesitolo se-sushi sokudla umile, ngezwa abapheki ababili bephikisana nge-Gamba Osaka neqembu lesizwe, omunye ethi iNdebe Yomhlaba yenza izingane zifune ukukhahlela ibholo kakhulu, omunye ethi izingane kufanele ziqale zifunde ukulayina, zingakwazi nokuhluthula ibholo ngokungahlelekile. Kufana nehlaya, kodwa kuyiJaphani ngempela.

Kusebusuku kakhulu, amavalavu ezitolo avaleka ngokulandelana, intuthu yamafutha isanamathele emakhoneni omgwaqo, kufana nomsindo wezandla ongafuni ukusuka emva komdlalo.

Ngiyakuthanda lokhu kuphikisana okuqotho. I-Tokyo ifaka umhlaba wonke esiphambanweni somgwaqo, i-Kyoto igcina umsindo wemvula njengencwadi endala, i-Osaka ibeka ukudla nezwi layo emgwaqweni; kodwa okwenza uhambo luhlale, yilezo zikhala ezincane ongazazi kuphela uma uhambile. Ngaphansi kwesitolo esilula sasemini, umhluzi we-oden unekombu nokulala, insimbi yethempeli nempempe yokuphela komdlalo zombili zingenza umuntu athule kungazelelwe, abantu abagqoke amajezi esiteshini se-train bazomisa ngokuzenzakalelayo emigqeni emibili, bangakabungazi baqale baqinisekise ukuthi abavimbi abanye ukuthi bagoduke.

Ngaphambi kokuhamba, ngabuyela e-Shibuya. Isikrini sasingenawo umdlalo, kusele izikhangisi kuphela, isiphambano somgwaqo sisaqhubeka nokukhulula abantu ngesikhathi. Umfana omncane ogqoke ijezi leqembu leJaphani elikhulu kakhulu, walandela umama wakhe, ekhahlela ibholo elingabonakali ngonyawo. Lapho ukukhanya okuluhlaza kuphela, walimisa ibholo ngaphambi komugqa omhlophe, akawela. Ngicabanga ukuthi, yingxenye enzima kakhulu yohambo lwaseJaphani: ucabanga ukuthi uzokujaha i-neon, amathempeli, i-ramen nezinkanyezi zebholo, kodwa ekugcineni okhumbulayo umntwana omisa ibholo ngokuzithiba ngaphambi kokukhanya okubomvu. Uthando lwebholo lweJaphani aluhlali lumenywa kakhulu, lufihliwe emoyeni wasolwandle wase-Kanagawa, emigwaqweni endala yase-Nara, ekuzilolongeni kokudluliswa kwebholo e-Yokohama, kanye nakumuntu ngamunye okwaziyo ukulinda impempe.