Osaka

 

OSAKA TRIP

 

Hi friends. My apologies for not keeping up with my blog. I am about 5 months behind so in the next bit I hope to catch up.

 

Back in May I went to Osaka for the weekend because my amazing friend Samily was coming with her husband to Japan for their anniversary trip. So I booked a ticket on the bullet, otherwise known as the famous "Shinkansen" and took off on a Friday after work.

 

I caught the Shinkansen at Tokyo Station and I was super paranoid about getting lost there or not having time to find the right train that I got there really, really early. Tokyo station is a fast paced place and can definitely be a bit confusing the first time. I definitely had a lost and confused look on my face until I figured out exactly where I was supposed to be. You don't even know which platform you are leaving from until 30 minutes before so it makes no sense to be there earlier than that.

 

 

 

 

See these people dressed in pink? They are amazing. When the train pulls up and everyone exits, they all bow and thank everyone for traveling. Once it has cleared, they all face the doors and then they all enter the cabins and clean the whole thing in 7 minutes. It was pretty impressive to watch. After they finish they all step out and bow to the waiting travelers before we board. About two minutes before the scheduled leave time, everyone gets on the train and in true Japanese fashion we leave exactly on time. The Shinkansen is a really smooth ride and I never felt like I was going as fast as I actually was.

Saturday morning I met my friend Samily and her husband at their hotel and then we took off for Universal Studios Japan. It isn't nearly as big or as impressive as what you have in the states but it is still a fun way to spend the day.

 

 

We loved the Harry Potter world. Butterbeer is super yummy and the ride was my favorite of the day. The whole place looks pretty cool. There were way too many magic wands though.

 

I got a bit wet on Jaws but no matter. I had to buy the Hello Kitty Jaws keychain.

 



 

The next day we met at Osaka Castle. There was a festival going on that day which was a celebration of two rival Japanese clans from about 500 years ago. So there were people dressed as Samurai and in other traditional costumes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The castle is pretty big and pretty as well. Hardly any of it is the original though which was disappointing. The entire interior was modernized with exhibits. It was interesting but I really wish it had some of that oldness still visible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Views from the top

 

 Here is Samily and her husband Francis. We headed out to a main shopping district in Osaka where we had some frozen yogurt which was super great. They don't have frozen yogurt in Tokyo so I was super happy to find some in Osaka. Samily did some shoe shopping and I had to take off to catch the train back to Tokyo.

 

 

 

Osaka has a very different vibe than Tokyo. It is a big city but it is not at all as fast paced which was pretty nice. I am not sure I would go back unless I had a significant reason to like seeing my friend Lori next time she flies in. The issue for me though is that it costs quite a bit to travel within Japan. It can be less expensive to fly to South Korea or Hong Kong than it is to travel on the train within the country. Kind of crazy but that is how it is. There is a rail pass for foreigners but because of my visa and resident status, I don't qualify. My goal this second year in Japan though is to explore more of the country so I am sure I will be traveling on the train more frequently. It is a great way to travel and I wish the US would get on board with high speed trains. We are way behind the times in that regard.