Night Skating in Osaka

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#0099FF" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="040006e0egcecm.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Osaka In Line Skating Guide</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Osaka In Line Skating Guide"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="An overview on skating in Osaka"><U>An overview on skating in Osaka</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Where to skate in Osaka for beginners"><U>Where to skate in Osaka for beginners</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Where to skate in Osaka for advanced ska"><U>Where to skate in Osaka for advanced skaters</U></A>   |   <B>Night Skating in Osaka</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#66CCFF" TEXT="#080000" background="041bec00egdypo.png"> <div> <B>Planning for the Night Skate</B></div> <div> Having skated in Tokyo in summer of 1999, it was time for me to skate in Osaka in 2000.  I actually had no plans to skate in Osaka because I did not know it as well as Tokyo.  There is a City Run in Osaka, but the person in charge of it, Dai-chan has not held one since April.  I had emailed him last year, telling him that I wanted to skate in one of his CR's.  But he does not communicate well in English, which made it virtually impossible to keep in touch with him. </div> <div> So the question came up:  Should I do a night skate in Osaka??  But I don't know any skaters in Osaka besides Dai-chan.  I remembered seeing on his BBS this person ichigou who belonged to a skate club, Team Powersliro.  I emailed her and proposed to her my idea for a night skate in Osaka.  She was thrilled at the idea and she along with her friend Yumiko began helping me with the route and getting people to skate.   That's how the first night skate became a reality.</div> <div> Besides doing the night skate, I skated during the early morning and late afternoon in Osaka.  Osaka is just as skateable if not a little easier than Tokyo.  The cycling path along the Yodo river is great.  Skating in Osaka Castle Park and Nagai Park are also good.  The major streets in Osaka are very good to skate.  But you can skate on the side walk with no problem because the bike path is designated in brown tiles or asphalt.  That makes it a good place for a person who does not want to skate in traffic.  Remember, only skate in traffic if you are experienced.  </div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FF9966" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Night Skating in Osaka</div> <div> <B>The first Osaka Night Skate on July 29, 2000</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="08240f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The group in Nagai Park before the skate</div> <div> (I am the one with blue hair, Akiko with the blue helmet, and Palette-Yoshida in orange pants)</div> <bR> <div> This year I organized the first night skate in Osaka with help of Akiko and Yumiko of Team Powersliro.  The skate was held on July 29, 2000.  This is the route we skated:  </div> <bR> <div> Nagai koen - Abiko-suji - Matsuzakicho - Tennouji - Tennouji koen - Nipponbashi Higashi - Sakai-suji - Dotombori - Shinsaibashi (Then take the subway to Morinomiya) - Osakajo koen - Tosabori-dori - Nakanoshima koen - Nakanoshima - Naniwa-suji - Sennichimae-dori - Namba (OCAT).</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="08330300.png" border=0 width="560" height="560" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> We were supposed to leave at six, but I got lost in Nagai Park. Thanks to my ketai denwa I was able to find the rest of the group.  We finally left around 6:15  PM from Nagai Koen.  There were a total of ten skaters (including myself) and two other people who drove in a "support car"  They would meet us at certain points of the skate.  And since I had my backpack, I left it with them so I could skate easier.  </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="084f0400.jpg" border=0 width="240" height="320" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#006699" FACE="Arial" >A typical sidewalk in Osaka</FONT></div> <bR> <div> From Nagai to Tennouji it was fine except for the speeding cyclist who were going faster then us.  Most of the skaters were too slow for my pace, but there was skater who was skating within my skill level.  His nickname is Palette-Yoshida.  From Nishi-Tanabe on Abiko-suji we skated together on the street.  Osaka was not as bad as people had told me.  They said that Osaka drivers are crazy and it is worse than Tokyo.  Being that I am from New York, what can be worse than a speeding cab driver honking at you down Broadway.  Osaka was just fine for me.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="08540f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#006699" FACE="Arial" >Skating in Matsuzakicho</FONT></div> <bR> <div> In Matsuzakicho, we had to skate on the street.  It was your typical narrow Japanese street.  We reached Tennouji about 50 minutes later.  Most skaters took off their skates so that they could cross the pedestrian overpass at JR Tennouji Station.  Near Tennouji Park we all took a break for about 10-15 minutes.  Akiko and Yumiko decided that most skaters would walk 3/4 into Tennouji Park before putting on their skates because the course was a little dangerous for a beginner.  So we exited Tennouji Park at around 7:30 PM and proceed towards Nipponbashi-Higashi.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="086f0400.jpg" border=0 width="240" height="320" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#006699" FACE="Arial" >The street we skated in Nipponbashi-Higashi.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> The street we skated in Nipponbashi-Higashi was good.  Everyone was able to enjoy skating on the asphalt. Then when we reached Sakai-suji, it was time for Palette-Yoshida and I to hit the road again and skate in traffic.  I wanted to make sure that we both were careful skating amongst the cars and taxis.  When we did skate in traffic, we had to stop after a few blocks to wait for the rest of the group.  At around 8 PM we reached Dotombori where once again most skaters took of their skates, while Palette-Yoshida and I this time skated in the busy street filled with people.  It was a little dangerous, but I got a thrill out of it (I assume the same for Palette-Yoshida).  It was 8:30 PM when Akiko, Yumiko, and the rest reached Nagahori-dori. That was our resting point.  I was going to go with everyone else to the subway station to take the train to Osaka Castle Park, but Palette-Yoshida did not have his shoes with him.  So I had to skate with him from Shinsaibashi to Morinomiya.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="08730730.jpg" border=0 width="560" height="371" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Posing in front of a "doll"???</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="088337b0.jpg" border=0 width="563" height="379" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The Osaka Night Skaters crossing the Dotombori river heading towards Shinsaibashi.</div> <bR> <div> The skate with Palette-Yoshida from Shinsaibashi to Morinomiya was awesome.  We practically had no problems.  People were looking at us with surprise as with skated in traffic.  The best part was skating downhill on Honmachi-dori towards Morinomiya.  And guess what:  We got there before the rest of the group!  In the mean time, Kinko-chan and Tomoru in the support car were filming us on their camera.  At the entrance to Osaka Castle Park, everyone regrouped and we left a little after 9 PM. I originally wanted to skate in the Osaka Business Park, but we were running late.  So we just skated through Osaka Castle Park and made our way on to Tosabori-dori.  On the bridge after turning into Tosabori-dori, a woman was on her bicycle.  I just happened  to wave my constructer red sign (a flashing baton) and because of that she stopped and started to walk on her bike.  I guess she thought that some construction was going on or something official.  I guess my constructer red sign is a really good thing to use for a night skate.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="08940f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#006699" FACE="Arial" >Yumiko and Akiko (I'm in the middle)</FONT></div> <bR> <div> We passed Nakanoshima Park and Nakanoshima with no problems.  At this point we  were already feeling a little tired.  Naniwa-suji was a good street to skate on because of the service roads in each direction. Palette-Yoshida and I once again skated ahead of the group on the Naniwa-suji service road and waited for them at Sennichimae-dori.  When I got there I just laid on the ground for a minute.  We all reached OCAT at Namba at around 10:30 PM.  Everyone (except Palette-Yoshida and I) skated about 14.5 km. Palette-Yoshida and I skated about 20 km.  Mission accomplished!!!!   At the parking lot behind OCAT, Kinko-chan and Tomoru met us and we had a surprise birthday party for Yumiko, who had her birthday earlier in July. </div> <div>  </div> <div> <IMG SRC="08a40f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#006699" FACE="Arial" >Mission Accomplished!!!!!!</FONT></div> <bR> <div> I felt that this particular night skate went very good and that it was well organized.  I could not have asked for better organizers than Akiko and Yumiko.  From the beginning, they were there to help me and actually check the route ahead of time since I was not familiar with Osaka.  I must thank Akiko and Yumiko for all their help.  And I would also like to thank Kazz, Kazu, Issei, kdonguri, Palette-Yoshida, Tutti, and Kazu-chan for participating in the first Osaka Night Skate.  And of course Kinko-chan and Tomoru for driving the support car and filming the night skate (When will I see it???)  I hope to come back to Osaka next year and do another night skate ^_^.          </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>