I went to Japan last October 10 to 19, 2015 to celebrate my birthday week. I splurged. So this travel itinerary may not be advisable when on a budget. I maximized my Visa and Master credit cards (don't do this at home, lol) on top of my JPY 80,000 pocket money.
My flight was from NAIA Manila to Osaka Kansai Airport; the flight was only 3.5 hours long and it was already 8:30 PM when we landed in Kansai. This is my first travel abroad (and alone!) after my trip to Singapore in 2009 and in the US (many years ago) and so I was extremely excited! As we were about to land, I was peeking outside my window and Osaka's skyline at night was just breathtaking to look at. "I am in Japan, I am in Japan!!! Un-be-ri-ba-be-ra (unbelievable)!"
When I got outside the airport, the cold weather dawned on me, it was already October and winter is just around the corner. I immediately saw Burger King and ordered a burger value meal as I was very hungry! At first, I was not familiar with the Japanese yen (JPY) so when the cashier gave me coins as change after I paid a 1,000 bill, I was shocked! 1,000 yen is equivalent to 400 Philippine pesos (PHP). Damn, that was an expensive burger. Well, welcome to Japan! :)
I was going to reside in a condominium booked thru Airbnb located somewhere in Namba, Osaka. I will be meeting Ivy who is coming from Tokyo, at Namba Station--a good 45 minute-train ride from Kansai Airport (costs 930 Yen) whew! Another thousand bucks taken away from me.
During the train ride, even though it was already dark, I kept looking outside the window, carefully looking at the houses--the neighborhood--in Japan, something I only used to visualize through the countless anime series I've seen. When I got to Namba Station, Ivy was nowhere to be found. I panicked! "Oh no! What do I do now?" I got no data on my phone, no wifi access at that time. Luckily, as I was about to pick up the payphone (yes, they still have it in Japan--old-school!), I saw Ivy, we grabbed some food and took the night off.
Day 1: Osaka City Tour
Ivy and I woke up early to meet another friend of mine, Jendell, who has been in Japan for two years now. Our first stop was at Abeno Harukas, the tallest building in Japan at 984 feet (built in 2014).
And then we realized we haven't eaten breakfast yet so we grabbed some onigiri (rice + toppings wrapped in nori) at the Family Mart nearby. Wow. It's my first time to ever try onigiri in my life. It was heaven to my taste buds!
Image source: isitveganjapan.com
Our next stop was at Shinsekai, an old district in Osaka, that houses some delectable cuisines. After all, Osaka is the culinary capital of Japan. Yum!
On our way to the Osaka Castle, we chanced upon a beer festival, where we gulped gallons of beer in various flavors (okay, gallon is an overstatement). I'm feeling so lucky on my first day in Japan!
Ah at last, we arrived at the historic and scenic Osaka Castle (Osakajo), which was built in 1583 but due to wars, it was subjected to continuous destruction and countless rebuilds. Today, it remains a proud cultural tourist spot.
Posing in front of the Osakajo; Jendell and I with a Samurai!!!
After Osakajo, we went to NHK Osaka, one of Japan's national broadcasting companies, where we toured a mini museum of television. We didn't stay here long since we can already hear our stomachs rumble.
While we were walking on the way to the restaurant, I noticed that I kept seeing this yellow lane on the sidewalk, so I asked Jendell, "What the hell are these yellow lines for?"
So after all that walk, we rewarded ourselves at a traditional sushi house--where sushi eternally comes out from a rotating belt. Check it out: "Itedakemasu!"
I couldn't remember how much sushi I downed that lunch... All I remember is I got so full. Authentic sushi, finally!
After lunch, we went inside a mall. I can't remember its name 'cause it was connected to the underground train station, where there are plenty of boutiques. The entire passage was filled with various stores, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, etcetera.
Ah, first day in Japan and I got to see all these high-tech stuff; a virtual tuxedo, an electric sports car, and a robot assistant!
As the sunset was drawing near, we went up the Umeda Sky Building, where we met the cold mist and enjoyed the spectacular 360-degree view of the city.
Please excuse my emo moment at the love lock found in the rooftop: "Can you 'fill' my heart?"
When evening came, we went to our final stop for the day, the Dotonbori at Minami (Namba), where I finally got to see the famed Glico Man!
It is less salty than what's available in the Philippines, and the octopus filling inside was quite generous as well! Wait, this is just our pre-game before the main course!
We ate at a Japanese curry restaurant, I forgot what it's called. I was too hungry to take photos at this time so I just ate. Besides, my phone was already low batt.
This is what's left of me after a long day of walking, eating and drinking:
End of day 1. Tired yet Happy
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