Farewell to the East

Kansai Airport Ad (Osaka) - Japan  2024

We departed Japan through the Kansai Airport in Osaka, where we had arrived some weeks earlier. Quite a jumbly experience! Of course we had to lug our suitcases up and down escalators and through crowded shopping displays.

Then an uneventful flight home.

Farewell to the East (George Wunder)

Express Train Sightems

Bicyclists (Osaka) - Japan  2024

River, Buildings (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Some nice views seen on the way to the airport. I used a Sony RX100. 

I'm showing the locations as Osaka, but that's a guess.

Itami Airport

Itami Airport Ad (Osaka) - Japan  2024

J-Air Plane, Itami Airport (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Our time in Osaka was relatively short, giving us some time to adjust to the new time zone. The plan now was to fly via Osaka's Itami Airport (domestic flights only) to Hakodate, a city located on the northern island of Hokkaido.

As the plane gained altitude it circled around, giving us a last view of Osaka.

Airplane View (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Osaka Kids

Waiting to Cross (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Kids (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Top photo: she was quite anxious, because her friends were across the street. We were a little concerned that she might jump the gun, but no, she waited for the green light, then dashed over.

"Early in the morning or late afternoon, you’ll see them traveling in clusters; small, near identical boxy bags strapped tightly upon the backs of only slighter larger Japanese elementary school children. These bags are known as randoseru. Carefully crafted, incredibly durable and often rather expensive, they’ve been a staple of everyday Japanese schoolwear for over a century."

Next: taken from the hotel's shuttle bus.

Osaka Sightems

Men Drinking (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Cycleland (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Other Japan drinking photos: Shinjuku Night, 2008, and Tokyo Food Tour, 2017.

Cycleland was located under a train overcrossing.

Below: taken from the hotel's shuttle bus.

I Love Osaka (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Standing Bar - Osaka

Standing Bar, Day (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Standing Bar, Night (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Top: as seen when we were walking around on our own. Next: as seen during our food tour.

Below: Google Translation as captured off of my computer monitor. The "bee" seen in the upper right hand corner is part of the word  ビル (Biru), I.e., beer.

Standing Bar (Google Translate)

Japan Culinary Adventure (45): Pachinko Parlor / Osaka Food Tour

Pachinko Parlor (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Pachinko Parlor Exterior (Osaka) - Japan  2024

As part of our food tour we got to visit a pachinko parlor! Just a walk-through, but a first time experience for us.

The food tour wandered through various Osaka street food establishments, serving small plates along with quantities of beer. At one venue we sampled horse meat, whale meat and raw chicken: that's an adventure!

Food Tour Food (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Monday Dog Blogging

Dogs, Dog Owners (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Lots of dogs in Japan. Alas, no other animal pix taken in Osaka . . . no particular reason.

Tenjinbashi-suji

Tenjinbashi (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Osaka Hall Sea Series (Osaka) - Japan  2024

"Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street in Osaka’s Kita district stretches a whopping 2.5 kilometers long. More importantly, it’s home to over 600 shops and restaurants to browse. Its mix of old and screamingly new might prove to be sensory overload at times, but it’ll give you a great insight into one of Osaka’s oldest merchant areas."

"Osaka Hall" is a pachinko parlor. This area was where our food tour was located! (The only food tour of the trip.) 

Osaka Station - Shopping

Yodobashi Camera Halloween Display (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Osaka Station Interior (Osaka) - Japan  2024

The hotel offered a shuttle service over to Osaka Station, located amidst a quantity of department stores and other high end shops. Very confusing area! The first time we needed a 7-11 employee to help us find the Yodobashi Camera store. The second time a lady volunteered to help us find Hankyu Department store. 

Google Maps wasn't helpful in this situation! The app seemed to have problems as we walked underneath train track overcrossings, and in addition there were a number of elevated walkways that Google couldn't recognize. Aside from train stations, the app seemed to work fine though.

Hankyu Department Store (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Okawa River

Hotel View, Sunrise, Okawa River (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Sculling, Okawa River (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Our hotel in Osaka had an impressive view of the river below and the skyline in the distance. Lots of sculling taking place on the river!

Also, there was a nice walking path alongside the river with some modern sculptures on view.

Reflective Sculpture, Self-Portrait (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Kansai Airport to Imperial Hotel, Osaka

Smokestacks (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Imperial Hotel (Osaka) - Japan  2024

There was quite a large crowd at the customs hall in the Kansai Airport! It took much longer than we had expected to finally pick up our suitcases: we were charged an extra fee for being late for our taxi pickup. 

Back in 2016 I noted that "the route from the airport into Osaka proper is actually quite long." So this time we weren't that surprised at the interminable drive, featuring smokestacks, freeway traffic and a super convoluted route down alleyways and side streets.

Finally got to the hotel though, with an impressive chrysanthemum display in the lobby!

Chrysanthemums (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Kansai Airport - Osaka

Airplane in Flight - Japan  2024

Midpoint in Flight - Japan  2024

We flew for almost the entire trip over clouds covering the landscape below. The only moment of excitement was when we caught up and passed another jet flying the same route.

I remember that we maintained an extremely high altitude during the trip, finally rapidly descending through the overcast, then catching a glimpse of Osaka Bay.

Osaka Bay - Japan  2024

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween (Osaka) - Japan  2016

Halloween Toenails - San Francisco  2018

Trick or treat! Alas, our street has hardly any trick or treaters.

Top: Osaka, October 2016.

Next: Hanna's Halloween toenails, October 2018.

Below: Unique Halloween tableau in Brooklyn, also October 2018:

Halloween Tableau (Brooklyn) - New York  2018

Leaving Osaka

Onward (Osaka) - Japan  2016

Leaving Osaka by taxi and train, heading for Kyoto. The train ride only took about 20-30 minutes, much shorter than Mike had anticipated, maybe because he was thinking of his 2008 train ride to Kyoto. It turns out that going from the Osaka airport to Kyoto takes much longer than going from central Osaka to Kyoto.

Anyway, much frantic grabbing of suitcases and stumbling off the train at Kyoto Station.

Osaka Sightems - 4

Moon Tower (Osaka) - Japan  2016

Vending Machine (Osaka) - Japan  2016

More from Osaka. The sign on the establishment below says, in part, "Spacious Playrooms."

Spacious Playrooms (Osaka) - Japan  2016

Osaka Sightems - 3

Ice Cream Stand (Osaka) - Japan  2016

Wedding (Osaka) - Japan  2016

Two photos taken with my Canon G5X. Jpgs, actually.

Quite nice . . . I'm wondering what the wedding shot would look like in a print. Must try it out some day.

Santa in Osaka

Hotel Chapel Christmas (Osaka) - Japan  2016

Hotel Chapel Christmas (Osaka) - Japan  2016

Taken as we were wearily making our way back to our hotel after spending time in the Dotonburi District. "Hotel Chapel Christmas" struck us as being a "love hotel." Certainly looks like there's lots to do in there.

Below, a legitimate Xmas store seen during our rainy early-morning walk.

Xmas Store (Osaka) - Japan  2016

Japan: Culinary Adventure (25): Chosoan's Family

Beer (Chosoan's - Osaka) - Japan  2016

Cigarette (Chosoan's - Osaka) - Japan  2016

A slightly run-down skewer restaurant a short walk from the hotel. But in the end, very satisfying: real food and real beer.

We left just as people in the opposite booth had started to light up.

Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle (Osaka) - Japan  2016

Osaka Castle Moat (Osaka) - Japan  2016

As featured in Godzilla Raids Again:

Godzilla arrives on the shore of Osaka. While a blackout of all city lights is enforced, JASDF jets are sent to shoot flares from their planes to lead Godzilla away from the shore. Godzilla sees the flames, and starts to leave.

Meanwhile, a prison truck transports dangerous criminals to another part of the country. The prisoners beat up the two policemen guarding them inside the truck, and run away. A few of them find a gasoline truck, and use it to escape. The truck crashes into an industrial building and starts a massive fire.

The fire, much brighter than the planes' flares, attracts Godzilla back to the shore of Osaka. A few minutes later, Anguirus swims to shore and attacks Godzilla. The two creatures fight an intense battle, while destroying several buildings. Godzilla finally bites Anguirus's neck, and throws it upside down into a moat near Osaka Castle. Godzilla then fires its atomic ray at Anguirus, burning it to death in the ruins of the famed castle.

As Dan says, "I wish I could have gotten photos of that while I was walking around the castle."