Luhambo lwaseJapan: Kuhamba emkhatsini wemsindvo wemvula, likhwela, nemaBlue Samurai

Lokubukela iNdebe yeMhlaba emphambanweni wemgwaco waseShibuya, ngulapho luhambo lwami lwaseJapan lwacala khona ngempela. Ngehora lesi-9 ebusuku, emarobhothi lamane labovu avuleka kanyekanye, bahambi bavinjelwa ngale kwetinsika tekucaluza, bafana nebhodwe lamanzi lase-litawubila. Isikrini sesakhiwo seTSUTAYA besibonisa tithombe temdlalo weJapan ngaphambi kwekucala, emajezi laluhlata abonakala esichutseni sebantfu. Indvodza lebisebenta yabamba sikhwama sayo ngaphansi kwekhwapha, yatsi kumlingani wayo ngekukhuluma lokurekhodiwe: 'Nangabe bengawina kulobubusuku, umhlangano wakusasa bekufanele ukhanseliwe.' Bafundzi besikolwa lesiphakeme labasedvute bahleka, kodvwa akukho namunye lowamemeta. Injabulo yemaJapan ivame kucindzetelwa emphinjeni kucala, ilindze likhwela, bese kuba ngumsindvo wekudvonsa umoya kuwonkhe umgwaco.

Ngaphambi kwekucala kwemdlalo, ngatsenga sikhwama se-oden emtfolampini. Lithende beliphekwe laze laba sobala, kunambitsa kwemakhamishi kukhula eceleni kwemaphepha esitsha. Umtsengisi wangibuta nangabe ngifuna umutsi lobabako, ngangingakevwa kahle, kodvwa umfana labegcoke ijezi lenombolo 7 yeJapan langemuva kwami watsi 'kancane.' Wakhomba esikrinini watsi uMitoma uvela eKanagawa, waphindze wenelezela, bantfwana labavela eKawasaki, bete nemoya wenkundla yemfula etinyaweni tabo. Ngabheka emphambanweni wemgwaco ngekuhamba kwakhe, emateksi, tinsambulela, tiphetfo tekweseka, kanye nemphunga wemtfolampini kuhlanganiswe ndzawonye. Ngaleso sikhatsi, ibhola belingakabi tindzaba temidlalo, kodvwa bekuyiphunga laseTokyo ebusuku.

Ngelilanga lelilandzelako ngaya eYokohama, ngabese ngiyabona kutsi kungani u-Endo njalo ababitwa ngekutsi 'ngukaputeni lonokuthula' ngemandla ebhola laseJapan. Umoya waselwandle waseMinato Mirai uphephula umuntfu, emkhatsini walesakhiwo lesibovu lesidzala kunebabe lofundzisa umntfwanakhe kuphasisana. Njalo nangabe umntfwana amisa ibhola kakhulu, babe akamkhalimeli, vele akugucule ngetinzwane, atsi: 'moyi kabili.' Phindza futsi. U-Endo waphuma eYokohama, wadlala eYurophu kamuva, aba ngumdlali longativakalisi kodvwa uhlala asendzaweni yakhe. IYokohama injalo nayo: lwandle luvulekile, kodvwa lidolobha alinamsindvo, lifana nemdlali wasemuva lohlala amile, aphatse konkhe kujabula ngekuciniseka.

Nangabe imvula ina e-Arashiyama yaseKyoto, umsindvo ucala eceleni kwemacembe emhlanga, bese uya elulwini lwesambulela, ekugcineni awele emfuleni. Tivakashi letisedvute nebholoho le-Togetsukyo tancipha ngehafu, umshayeli wekhalishi wabeka ithawula yakhe ehlombe, emasondo agicagica ematseni lamanzi. Ngacasha endlini yekudla yetiye lencane, umnakeli wafaka tiye letishisako le-shayelako etafuleni, iTV beyinemidlalo yetemidlalo kodvwa ingakavakalisi. Sitfombe saKubo sibonakala, watsi indzaba yakhe yaseNara icocwa ngemandla ebhola laseKansai, njengetfo lendzala leyendlula etindleleni letincane leyendlula enkundleni yemhlaba. Efasiteleni kukhala insimbi yethempeli kancane, ngacabanga ngekwesikhatsana likhwela lebhola: sinye simisa umuntfu, lesinye simgijimisa, kodvwa eJapan, kokubili kufuna kutsi ucale ulalele umthetho.

Ngemva kwemvula kwasa, ngaphuma ngetindlela letincane temhlanga. Emaconsi emanti lawele emacembeni emhlanga angena entsanyeni, kubanda kwangicuphela. Esitolo semikhumbuto eceleni kwemgwaco bekunemakhiye eBlue Samurai, kanye nemakati etinhlanhla nemakhukhi etiye letiluhlata emugqeni munye. Emantfombatane lamabili esitolo apikisana ngetinhlanganisela, lomunye atsi uMitoma kufanele angene kusenesikhatsi, lomunye atsi uKubo uyakwati kudzabula timbhobo. Bekavakala kancane, batsengile babonga umtsengisi ngekucophelela. Kubantfu labahamba eJapan kwekucala, lokuvimbela kungacatjangwa kabi ngekugula; kodvwa nangabe sewubukele umdlalo nabo, utawutfola kutsi umdlandla ugotjwe kahle, ufakwe epokothweni, ukhishwe kuphela nangabe kunekuphasisa lokubalulekile. Esikhwameni sekusebenta kunelibheji lelicembu, emukhasini wemakhalekhukhwini kunomdlali, esitimeleni abamemeta, kodvwa kukho konkhe kuhlasela bayabamba umoya kanyekanye.

Nangisashintja esiteshini saseKyoto ngahlangana nendvodza lendzala lebeyigcoke lisuti. Bebambe liphephandzaba lakusihlwa, emakhasi etemidlalo agotjwe ngephandle, umphewu weliphepha wamanzi ngenca yemvula. Yangibona ngigcile esihlokweni, yasondzela liphephandzaba kimi, yakhomba sitfombe selicembu leJapan yatsi: 'Nisuke naba nemandla.' Akubanga nekubukisa, kungabikho nekuchaza, kufana nekusho kutsi imvula icinisile lamuhla. Sitimela sitifikile, wagoqa liphephandzaba, wangikhomba ngekukhanda, wanyamalala nebucha bebantfu esitebhisini lesihambako. Lamavi lamafishane, lanemfudlana lomudze, afana nekushisa kwebhola laseJapan.

E-Osaka, iDotonbori ikudvonsela phansi ngemunyu. Tinsimbi te-takoyaki tiphefumula umuntfu lomhlophe, kumnandzi kwe-sauce kukhanya; kunukisa kwemafutsa etitolo te-kushikisha kunamatela ejazini, ungakawalahli ngisho nangabe udlule esibukweni seGlico. Isikrini lesikhulu eceleni kwemfula sibuyeketa umgomo weJapan, tivakashi tiphakamisa emakhalekhukhwini, emadvodza endzawo abheke kuphela ekupasisweni kwekugcina, atsi: 'Lapho, kuhle.' Ngema eceleni kwesitolo sesushi sekuma, ngeva bapheki lababili bephikisana ngeGamba yase-Osaka nelicembu lesive, lomunye atsi iNdebe yeMhlaba yenta bantfwana bafune kudlala kakhulu, lomunye atsi bantfwana kufanele bacale bafundze kugcotjwa, ngisho nasekudleni ibhola akufanele kuhlasele. Kuvakala njengetinsini, kodvwa kuJapan.

Kusitfupha kakhulu ebusuku, tivalo tetitolo tiyavaleka kancane kancane, umuntfu wekupheka usanamatela emakhoneni emgwaco, njengetfuba lemfihlo lengafuni kusuka ngemuva kwemdlalo.

Ngiyalutsandza lolokungaboni ngaso linye lokwethembekile. ITokyo ifaka umhlaba wonkhe emphambanweni munye wemgwaco, iKyoto igcina umsindvo wemvula njengetfoli yasendvulo, i-Osaka yendlala kudla kanye nelizwi emgwacweni; kodvwa lokwenta luhambo luhlale, yiletinhlitiyo letincane lotitfolako kuphela nangabe uhamba. Ebusuku emtfolampini umhluzi we-oden unemakhamishi nekukhatsala, kukhala kwensimbi yethempeli kanye nelikhwela lekuphela kwemdlalo kungakwenta uhlale uthule, esiteshini sesitimela bantfu labagcoke emajezi bangema emigceni lemibili, bangalokothanga kuvale labanye ngekugubha.

Ngaphambi kwekusuka, ngaphindze ngaya eShibuya. Isikrini besingenamdlalo, kuphela tikhangisi, umgwaco bewusakhulula bantfu ngesikhatsi. Umfana lomncane bekagcoke ijezi leJapan lelikhulu kuye, elandzela make wakhe, adlalise ibhola lelingabonakali ngenyawo. Ekupheleni kwelilanga, 'wamisa' ibhola ngaphambi kwemudvwana lomhlophe, akazange awuwele. Ngicabanga kutsi lena yincenye lenzima kakhulu yekubhala ngeJapan: ucabanga kutsi utewucosha emalambu e-neon, emathempeli, emalamuni, netinkhanyezi tebhola, kodvwa ekugcineni ukhumbula umntfwana lamisa ibhola ngaphambi kwelilanga. Umdlandla webhola baseJapan awumenyeteli njalo, ufihlakele emoyeni waselwandle waseKanagawa, etindleleni tasendvulo taseNara, ekuprakthizeni kwekuphasisa eYokohama, kanye nasebantfwini labakwati kulindza likhwela.