Above: Osaka’s Dotonbori area.
Arriving in Osaka
We arrived at Osaka for our four night stopover. Osaka’s Kansai airport was impressive in terms of the technology to build it on an artificial island, and to keep it above water as it gradually subsides. But it is very drab inside, with unimpressive materials such as lino for the floor. An engineering marvel it is, but not a work of art.
After a swift exit through arrival formalities, we took the slow train to Namba, the area where we would be staying. Some of the signs on the trains are lightly amusing: “Mildly Air Conditioned” and “Semi Express”.
Arriving at Namba station, we saw the crew on our flight having just arrived on the fast train. The had caught up, having left after us.
We took a taxi to the Comfort Hotel Shinsaibashi. It was a slow ride as we were stuck in an alleyway. The address in Japanese didn’t mean much to the driver but fortunately a map in Japanese did. The ride was surprisingly cheap. While it wasn’t far, it just too long due to traffic.
Our check-in went smoothly but Rodger had a problem with his reservation. He thought his rate should have been JPY6000 instead of JPY9000. He may have booked the cheaper rate which was a double room for a single occupancy. I could sense it getting ugly and we helped out to smooth things along.
First exploration
After freshening up, we walked down the street to Dotonbori, renowned for the neon lights at night. We grabbed dinner at Cui Daore, a famous restaurant with its iconic clown beating a drum on the outside. It has many floors, each suited to a different market and budget. Kim and I shared a Takoyaki Gratin and a Katsu Curry Rice.
Back in our hotel, we were tired. The room was small but spotless, with a modular moulded bathroom. It was amazingly cheap for a central location in a large Japanese city. We were in bed at 2100 after a very long day.