Day 1: Osaka (continued)

The rest of the day was spent at Shinsaibashi, a shopping street several hundred metres long, and Dotonbori, a street full of restaurants.
















Part of Shinsaibashi. You can see how the shopping street stretches into the background.






















OCX and Dan along the shopping street, which was expectedly crowded on a Saturday evening.
















Even the drain covers were elaborately decorated, something that is apparently commonplace throughout Japan. Our PUB should really take notes.
















Part of the lights near Dotonbori.
















Just some of the restaurants at Dotonbori. The most noteworthy thing however, is the Jetstar advertisement in the centre. Does this mean we will soon see budget flights to Japan? It's about time I say.















Another section of Dotonbori. No wonder the phrase 食い倒れ (eat till you drop) is used to describe this place.

Still to come:
Universal Studios Japan; Kyoto, a place overflowing with shrines and students. Includes a day-trip to Iga-Ueno, the land of Ninjas! Last but not least, Tokyo.

Day 1: Osaka

We touched down at Kansai Airport at about 5 plus in the morning after transiting at Bangkok the previous night. Headed straight for our hotel, arriving there at about 7 plus, where we were told that the check-in time was after 12. So we had breakfast, and headed to Osaka castle, since it was open from 9am.

















Daniel checking OCX's list of japanese phrases. The last phrase on the list was 愛している... -_-"

At the Bangkok airport, whose name I cannot remember, spell or pronounce.

















Kansai airport.

















Dan on the way to the Osaka castle. He had no idea about the amount of walking that was to come in the days ahead, hence the thumbs up at the start of the entire trip.

















View of the castle from a distance.


















Closer view. In April the castle would be surrounded by lots of blooming sakura (japanese cherry blossoms). Too bad we came at the wrong time. I blame NUS.


















Warhammer anyone? A display of figurines representing a crucial battle for Osaka castle.

















Close up of one of the main generals.






















Close up of the castle.

But frankly speaking, sight seeing wasn't the top of my list of things to do in Osaka. That belonged to food, haha. More pics of that, plus the super long Shinsaibashi shopping street in the next update.

Preview

It's been a great 5 days so far; was in Osaka for the first 2, then in Kyoto for the next 3, although the 4th day was largely spent outside of Kyoto, going to the Ninja Museum in Iga-Ueno and a hot spring at Kasaga. Legs and back are killing me though, from all the waking we've done, and any possible weight loss has more than been mitigated by the amount of food we eat, haha.

Ok, here are some pics:

















Universal Studios Japan, our stop on the 2nd day.

















Outside a shop in the JR Kyoto station selling colourful fruit pies. Is Dan gawking at the pies, or at something(one) else?

















The hundreds of Otori gates at the Fushimi-inari shrine at Kyoto. Supposedly if a couple were to walk through all the gates together, they would live happily ever after...

















Dan and OCX splitting up at a fork in the road, which means that they won't be together for the rest of their lives...?

















Part of the Ninja techniques demonstration show at the Iga-Ueno ninja museum.

More photos to come later :)