Today is the day I hope will never come, the last day of this trip. Since I have a plane to catch in the afternoon, I refrain from further traveling around. Instead, I go to Osaka Station, so that I can easily get on a train to Kansai Airport later. Osaka Station is a really big station, the station itself is a worthy attraction in Osaka. There are many places to shop, eat, and look around at Osaka Station.
Osaka Station has many storeys and has many shopping areas in it
Right Outside of Osaka Station, you can see Osaka Grand Front and Umeda Sky Building, too bad I don't have time to visit Umeda Sky Building.
Grand Front Osaka
There's a Kinokuniya Bookstore in Grand Front Osaka. Too bad I can't read much Japanese.
Another shopping mall, Yodobashi Umeda
And it came the time when I must get on the train and get to Kansai International Airport to leave the country.
Going to get on the plane soon, Hope to return soon.
Japan is really a fantastic place to visit. I will especially miss eating takoyaki and matcha ice-cream every day. I can’t wait to get another opportunity to explore other parts of Japan.
The river I walk pass every day from the train station to the apartment I stayed.
The stations are really clean and people are very polite.
In the train, it is very clean and quiet. Everyone tries their best not to be a nuisance to others.
Vending Machines are plentiful and convenient.
The manholes at Japan are specially designed and interesting.
It's a sad thing to leave Japan. Japan is a really nice and beautiful place with plenty of delicious food. Everywhere is clean and well organized. The people are nice and polite too. There are always fun and interesting things to do and see here. Hope to come to Japan again soon!
Read about the travel on the previous days at Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. Follow me for my future posts as well!
Entrance to the park. This is actually the previous day's photo. Today is a rainy day.
Finally, I will go to Universal Studios Japan! Universal Studios Japan, ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン(Yunibaasaru sutajio Japan) in Osaka is one of the four Universal Studios Theme Park in the World. This time, I reached the park just right after its opening time. I bought the Universal Express Pass 7 in addition to the Park’s entrance ticket. This pass will allow me to skip lining up for 7 popular rides in the park, as popular rides tend to have really long lines. Don't forget to take a photo at the famous revolving globe to show that you've been to the park!
Since it is a rainy day, I had to purchase a raincoat at one of the Universal Studios Store right after entering, or riding on an outdoor ride will ensure me to be soaking wet.
The covered area is really crowded since it's a rainy day
The first ride I got on is The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, which allows me to feel like one of the citizens in a Spider-Man movie. In this ride, Spider-Man has to save the citizens while beating up the bad guys.
Enter and experience being saved by Spider-Man
Next, it’s time to visit Jurassic World. There’s two rides here, The Flying Dinosaur and Jurassic Park-The Ride. My Express Pass regrettably only allows me to cut the queue for Jurassic Park-The Ride. The Flying Dinosaur is a really popular ride and the lines are long. I had to skip it because waiting in line for an hour is too long. I have to go on many other rides as well.
Many Dinosaur wannabes at the souvenir shop
After lunch at one of the many restaurants in the park, it is time to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The place is built to resemble the setting of the series, and there are many rides and attractions in this area. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is located inside of Hogwarts Castle, which gives you an experience as if you’re riding on a flying broom.
Hogsmeade or Hogwarts?
Hogwarts Express
Hogwarts Castle
At Amity Village, you can take the ride, JAWS, where one take a boat ride on shark infested waters.
The caught shark
The boat sets out into Shark infested waters
The place is serene, can I live here?
There’s also a few more attractions I went to like Terminator 2 and Kyary Factory.
Factory Tour in Kyary Factory
Terminator 2
The last ride I got on is a rather intense roller coaster at the Hollywood area, known as Hollywood Dream. One can choose the normal front facing ride or the reverse ride, backdrop. This roller coaster is quite chaotic and fast, perhaps giving a feeling of what is it like to chase after a Hollywood dream.
Hollywood area
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The theme park is actually a good place to take photos, but there are too many visitors and that will sometimes spoil your photos. But still, the scenery is great.
Such beauty
Lakescape
I left the park when it is getting dark. Outside the park, there are still interesting places and things to see. You can visit the Universal Citywalk Osaka, which has a takoyaki museum. There are many shops selling interesting stuff, like anime merchandise, soft toys, and many restaurants too.
I actually planned to visit Universal Studios Japan, ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン (Yunibaasaru sutajio Japan) in Osaka on my fourth day in Japan. However, being there just 30 minutes after opening time, I did not anticipate such a massive crowd. Therefore, a change of plan, I went to Kyoto instead. Kyoto, 京都 (kyouto) is easily accessible through trains that run directly to Kyoto Station.
The Grand Kyoto Station
Arriving at the grand and impressive Kyoto Station, it is already noon. Just outside the station tourist can purchase a Kyoto Bus One-day Pass, which allows unlimited travel to all the stations covered by the pass on the day of purchase. Most of the main sightseeing spots in Kyoto are covered, although one day is not enough to visit all those spots. Kyoto is a big place with many attractions.
Exiting from the Northern side of Kyoto Station, Kyoto Tower comes into view
Since it is already after lunch time, I had lunch at Kyoto Station. The station itself is worth a look around. It is really big and houses shopping malls and a department store. I went to the 11th floor of Isetan Department Store, where there are many fancy restaurants. I chose to eat sushi, 寿司 or すし (sushi) as I haven’t tasted any sushi yet since arriving in Japan.
Tastes really good
View from the 11th floor of the department store
My first experience waiting for the train to pass before crossing the railway
Delicious snow crab meat
Dinner before the next destination. This ramen shop has a self-ordering and paying machine
After dinner, it is time for the place I am more interested to visit. The next destination will be Gion, 祇園 (gion), a geisha district. Gion is a great destination because it is as if traditional Japan is preserved here. There are many wooden shops and the architecture has a traditional and historical feel to it.
Peaceful and traditional feeling
A modern Starbucks in the midst of the traditional feeling at Gion
Wooden shops are still plentiful
Minamiza Kabuki Theatre is across the street
Minamiza Kabuki Theatre
Walk further down the road and I reach Kamo River, 鴨川 (kamogawa). Get across and I will be able to visit Pontocho, 先斗町 (pontochou) and Kawaramachi, 河原町 (kawaramachi), which like Gion, has a traditional Japan feel and there’s great scenery.
Geisha Statue
The scenic Kamo River
After crossing Kamo River, the area of Kawaramachi is a rather busy place. There are a few department stores here, and there’s a significant increase in crowds and cars.
Busy area with many people, cars, and department stores, but still preserve the traditional feel
Take a pleasant walk at Kawaramachi
On a little bridge
At night, only the shops light up Kamo River. Many people sit along the riverbank enjoying the river breeze.
After walking around and taking pictures, it is time to rush back to Osaka before the last train leaves. I don’t want to be stranded at Kyoto!
Last photo of Kyoto Tower lighted up at night and on the train we go
The next day, I will go to Universal Studios! Do read about Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 as well.
On my third day in Japan, I left Osaka to visit Nara, 奈良 (nara). Although the public transport in Japan is a bit expensive, the good thing about it is that the railways are connected to many places, and Nara is accessible directly from Osaka using the trains. Outside Kintetsu Nara station, there’s a tourism office that you can get maps and brochures about Nara in many different languages for free.
My first destination is Nara Park, 奈良公園 (narakouen). To reach there, I have to first walk through Higashimuki Shopping Street, 東向商店街 (higashimukishoutengai). At the end of the street, there is an Italian restaurant, Trattoria Piano, where I decided to have lunch at. At Trattoria Piano, pizza is made with a stone oven heated up by burning firewoods and it tasted quite good. The spaghetti is nice too.
Trattoria Piano, Italian Restaurant at Nara
The Stone oven to make pizza
Spaghetti for lunch
Pizza from the stone oven
The end of Higashimuki Shopping Street is connected to Sanjō-dōri Avenue, 三条通り (sanjoudoori), another shopping avenue. There’s many souvenir shop at this street. Nara Park is only 5 minutes’ walk away from this area. When I see many people and sika deer, I know I have reached my destination. Deer crackers can be purchase to feed the deers, but be careful of "deer attack".
The deer is very easy to approach
These deer are relaxed even when there are many people
They will get near you freely
Since I will be in Nara for only a day, I had to choose where to go and what to see. Not being a temple person, I decided to visit Isui-en Garden, 依水園 (isuien). Isui-en is a small but pleasant and well-maintained garden.
Colorful scenery in Isui-en
Calm and peaceful
Nice weather
Mossy garden, step on the stone steps
A bamboo water tap
A little stream
On the way back to the train station, I take the opportunity to walk around Sanjō-dōri Avenue, which I only pass through earlier. Also connected is another covered shopping arcade known as Mochiidono Shopping Street, もちいどの商店街 (mochiidonoshoutengai). There’s even more restaurant, souvenir shops, and bars here.
Sarusawa Pond, 猿沢の池(sarusawanoike), a pond near the end of Sanjō-dōri Avenue
Manhole atMochiidono Shopping Street
After returning to Osaka, I had yakitori, 焼き鳥 (yakitori), for dinner at Dotonbori. Yakitori means grilled chicken literally, but there’s a variety of skewered food served usually. I ordered a set consisting ten different types of yakitori.
Asupara bekon, アスパラベーコン (asuparabekon) and Negima, ねぎま (negima). Asupara bekon is Grilled Asparagus Wrapped with Bacon and Negima is pieces of chicken meat skewered with leeks between it.
Enoki Maki, エノキ巻き (enokimaki) is Enoki mushrooms wrapped by pork slices.
After dinner and some walking around, I went back and rest as another day awaits. Read about the first and second day at Day 1 and Day 2. Day 4 will be written soon!
