Two Nights in Osaka

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We landed at KIX (Kansai International Airport) around 6.30 AM and straight away found the prayer room for us to pray. Prayer room at KIX was lit - omg I am put to shame with the shabby room they provided us with at KLIA. KIX was way smaller than KLIA but their facilities was at a different level. A higher level, mind you. Just a few moments of stepping onto Nippon land and I am already awed out. As usual, navigation was on me. I had this app called Halal Gourmet Japan and turns out KIX had a few halal food joints. We went to the one that looks street foodish - my choice of course and had a classic udon and various selection of tempura on the side.

 

After having our breakfast, we headed out to find our way to the hotel. Made a short stop at the Tourist Info Center to buy our 2-day Osaka Amazing Pass for 3000yen. There is a train station right next to KIX which interconnects to everything and everywhere. You know those self-operating ticket machines you always see in anime and dramas? Yeah don't even try to operate any of those if you don't know any Japanese. Thankfully enough there is a ticket office right next to these machines and they have an English counter for us gaijins. Bought 3 tickets to Osaka Station (as our hotel is a few hundred metres from the station) and we're on our way. Dropped our baggage at the hotel and boom we're on our way.

Morning hustle at Osaka Station

First stop, Umeda Sky Building! I've been stalking this place for a while and so so so wanted to ride on the overhanging escalator between level 49 and 51. First you gotta take the glass escalator up to level 49, then only you will need to show your Osaka Amazing Pass for a free entry to the observatory and take the heart dropping escalator ride to level 51. Truth be told I'm scared of heights but the heart wants what it wants man. My knees went weak as jelly but the experience priceless. 

Next stop was the second largest aquarium in Japan - Osaka Kaiyukan. The entrance fee costs around 2,300 yen - which is around RM90++. The first thing they make you do is to go to the topmost level of the building, in which you will make your way down in spirals around a large tank where the huge fishes like whale sharks, gigantic manta-rays and sharks dwells. This giant tank is on your right as you walk down 7 levels down and on your left will be various other smaller tanks with tons of different species of water creatures. One tank as just full of squids and wow I never thought that squids can look so pretty. They had sea otters, penguins and white seals omg the white seals are the cutest ever and I loved their jelly fish area it was soooo extraterrestrial. There were a few of those tunnels you have to go through with fish swimming around you and it was just so wonderful. I felt like I was in a different world. When I think of it, I stopped by almost each tank and was like 'woah' and 'WOAH' and 'woaahhhh' XD I'm scared of water creatures to be honest but I love aquariums. It's like my love-hate relationship with beef ( like how I eat meat if it doesn't look like meat i.e, burgers ).

It was just amazing. Outside the aquarium there were small street shows and there was a large shopping area (Tempozan Market Place) next to eat and a HUGE ferris wheel (Tempozan Ferris Wheel) which nobody wanted to take with him so we ended up not taking it. AND THERE WAS A SUPER NICE SOFT ICECREAM SHOP RIGHT OUTSIDE 

It was 6 degrees out but who cares, we want icecream

Had dindins at a nearby Indian place and headed back home. For a first day and right after landing - it was such a tiring day. We went to two major places but these two were quite far from each other and there was a lot of walking involved. Of course there were a lot of things to see and explore around these areas. A stone throw's away from the Umeda Sky Building is the Grand Front Osaka - an area for people watching, dining and shopping. There's a Pokemon Center too inside Osaka Station, but I didn't get to go. Osaka Station itself is full of wonders, tbh. I want to make another trip in the future and to explore Osaka Station is one of it. Seriously peeps. Seriously. There was a rooftop observatory that I didn't dare to go up cuz you need to take another hanging escalator. I had enough of weak knees in one day from Umeda Sky Building thank you. 

2nd day in Osaka was rainy but we plodged on. First thing on the hit list - Osaka Castle. We planned for some sakura viewing here but seeing the rain, we didn't hope much. Got on the train, stopped by Lawson on the way for some konbini breakfast (onigiri, coffee, bananas, and bought some umbrellas and raincoat) and walked and walked until we reached the castle. It was a superior looking structure looming over a hill over us, and surrounding it was a river - sorta. We first had to go through this huge gate-door like thing which looks old as heck into a garden. A garden of cherry blossom and peach blossoms. It would've been much much prettier with the flowers blooming but it was raining and the flowers looked a bit gloomy. Anyway I was more in awe over the castle more than anything. Leading to the castle from the pathway is a huge old bridge made up of wood as big as me - imagine this lone bridge holding on for all these centuries and I'm like woah - an from there we had to climb a hill up to the castle. Trust me, in the rain the temperature was dropping low, my feet were frozen over but if he emperor wants to see you, you gotta make the journey yaw.

After an audience with the Emperor, we moved to explore the center of hustle bustle of Osaka - Dotonbori. Took the train there, headed to this place called Ganko for some authentic Japanese lunchies and took to the streets. Where mom found her fabric heaven and I sat at the Burger King next door eating fries (fried in vege oil and not mixed with any meat) and some strawberry sundae- cuz mom and her fabric stuff will take an hour atleast. Dotonbori area is that bomb peeps. It's a mixture of old and new - you can find street brands shops and japanese market stuff in this area and just next to it is Shinsaibashi, a 2 kilometers long street shopping mall. Right before it is the Glico man, and Pablo cafe XD 

Later that night we did explore a bit of Osaka Station, right before they close. I just had to get a new pair of sneaks because my Puma platforms were freezing up and squeezing my foot and hurt like hell. Decided to splurge at Adidas and that was when I fell in love with the NMD. We hung around drinking coffee at the overhanging artificial garden between Osaka Station and LUCCA shopping mall, watching the night life. It was just wonderful end to the two nights in Osaka. 

Kyoto for the next two nights - in another post. 

There's really a lot more things to see and do in Osaka but we just didn't have enough time. I'm planning another trip in the future to see all the other things I couldn't. There were a lot of shrines and stuff too and of course food huntingggggg. 

XD

My other post on expenses while in Japan 

Breaking Down The Yens