Osaka, Okinawa, it’s all the same… right?

Wrong. Excluding the obvious differences in geography and climate, Okinawa and Osaka are very different. Suppose someone told you that Hawaii and North Dakota were the same - how would you react? Probably by shaking your head vehemently and saying no a little louder than is necessary. Like the United States, Japan varies greatly depending on where you are; and yet, many people do not seem to know that. My parents, for example, did not realize just how large Japan actually is until I told them how many hours there were between Osaka and Tokyo. My grandparents were even worse; in fact I think a lot of people in the United States may just classify all of Asia as one entity when in fact they are quite distinctly dissimilar.

Granted, some of the things in Osaka and Okinawa were similar, but the overall feel was completely different. Both Osaka and Okinawa have shopping districts where one can find pretty much everything under the sun. However the goods are hardly the same at all. Shinsaibashi in Osaka has an abundance of large chain stores, while in Kokusai, Okinawa there are a wide variety of mom-and-pop shops. Another difference is transportation. In mainland Japan the train system is very extensive, while in Okinawa they rely heavily on the monorail, taxis and buses. The language is also different. Not to mention that while sitting on the beach you would think you are no longer in Japan.

Shinsaibashi, Osaka, Japan

Okinawa, Japan

Finally on to the mood of each place. Osaka is a typical city: busy, bright, and loud. In Okinawa, on the other hand, even the heart of the city was really relaxed and people were not in a huge hurry. Osaka lacks places to sit and relax but in Okinawa there were several benches strewn around at which people could sit down and take a load off. I am not saying either is better, but rather that they are merely different. Japan is not just Asian, and it certainly is not the same country wide. The variety still astounds me.