Blogs from Osaka, Osaka, Japan, Asia - page 16

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Asia » Japan » Osaka » Osaka December 19th 2008

We went to Osaka the first week we got back from our visit home. Poor Stephen left that Wednesday for a conference, less then 48 hours after we arrived back in Tokyo. It was no surprise that he got sick. I was joining him on that Friday afternoon and he woke up that morning with a fever. On top of that it was really cold and rainy in Osaka. We stayed at the Ritz (I would live in their sheets!) so we made the best of the situation (I'm always happy to lay in bed and read). Osaka is south of Tokyo, just a 2 1/2 hour Shinkansen (fastest train in the world) ride from Tokyo. Osaka really is just a smaller version of Tokyo. I went out to lunch by myself. Most restaurants in Japan ... read more
Gate of the Castle
Protesters outside of castle
They changed positions all at once

Asia » Japan » Osaka » Osaka December 18th 2008

I arrived in Osaka Wed evening and spent the night in the city. In a hotel of course but only just.. my reservation fell through over the net after it had already been confirmed. And somehow I gouged the magnetic strip on my debit card rendering it useless. And it may have also slipped my mind to convert some Aussie dollars to yen at the airport..:) That's ok thou, see all this hasn't happend yet because of course I was still dealing with fact that I was slightly lost. I later reflected on how funny it was that sometimes being lost is really a lot better than finding your way:) you just don't know it at the time. Well I eventually did find my way with the help of an Aussie girl and her Japanese friend. ... read more
Tenoji Gardens
Tenoji Gardens
Tenoji Museum

Asia » Japan » Osaka » Osaka » Shinsaibashi December 14th 2008

I heart Japan! I know that I have said this about a lot of the countries I have been to in the past few months, and it is true again--Japan is awesome. I arrived into Tokyo & my friend Karen was waiting for me as soon as I got out of customs--a familiar face in a new city. Yay! We made our way to our budget accomodation which turned out to be pretty nice for going cheap. We had a room with 2 bunk beds so we each got our own bottom bunk--no camp nightmares of falling off the top bunk when having to get up to pee in the middle of the night! We explored Tokyo for 2 days and everywhere we went friendly people helped us--some even approached us when we were looking ... read more
aloha from atop the Tokyo Tower
sushi -- it's incredible here, who woulda thunk?
Imperial Gardens Tokyo

Asia » Japan » Osaka » Osaka » Shinsaibashi November 29th 2008

Pics from Osaka the Shinsaibashi district.... read more
BillBoard1
BillBoard2
Osaka Blade Runner

Asia » Japan » Osaka » Osaka November 29th 2008

Osaka - city , Nov 26th 2008... read more
Osaka by night

Asia » Japan » Osaka » Osaka November 25th 2008

Ramen noodles for breakfast, udon noodles for lunch, rice and raw fish for dinner, admiring the changing of the leaves, conforming to lines for trains, singing karaoke until early hours of the morning, singing karaoke until all hours of the morning in costumes.....yep, I think we are turning Japanese! With Steph having to go back to work this week, we were put to the test and forced to go around on our own. We explored Osaka's main downtown area of Namba, Amera Mura (America town where they sell everything they associate with 'American' culture), and walked through the brightly lit streets filled with masses of people. We met up with Steph at night and she took us to the greatest place on earth....Spa World (labelled as Osaka's second best thing to do naked!) 4 floors of ... read more
Aquarium
Bamboo forest
Geisha!

Asia » Japan » Osaka » Osaka November 22nd 2008

I met some Australians in Hiroshima who informed me that there was a Universal Studios in Osaka and that it had a proper full on Jaws ride. After the emotional roller-coaster that I had been through at the A-Bomb Museum and the Peace Park I jumped on an early train over there. I was a little disappointed with park, although I had just visited the same place in Hollywood which had updated a lot of it's rides. The jaws ride was great though, you go on a guided tour of Amity Island, then you get a call from another boat in distress. As you go through the rest of the ride Jaws get closer and cloaser to the boat and you get more and more wet. It ends with him chewing on a powerline and being ... read more
Bridge near Dotombori
Dotombori
Dotombori

Asia » Japan » Osaka » Osaka November 13th 2008

The dorm, turning into autumn, and me in a wedding kimono. Fantastic experience, that not many people get- three hours of make-up and being dressed in about 6 different layers by an absolutely beautiful lady who does this as her job, yet has been volunteering her time for the last 9 years to dress us exchange students at Kandai...This year there's more than thirty girls who have put their hands up. Over 90 hours!!!!!!!! Increadible. Doesn't quite suit me, so feel free to have a giggle!... read more
Wedding kimono
Wedding kimono
Wedding kimono

Asia » Japan » Osaka » Osaka November 13th 2008

After celebrating an early (very) 21st in Adelaide with familiy in friends in mid March, I finally had my real birthday last Tuesday, here in Japan... And I was still getting surprises up until 2 days ago! Absolutely awesome birthday! Very lucky girl. Thanks everyone, back home and here...... read more
Birthday Drinks
Birthday Drinks
Birthday Drinks

Asia » Japan » Osaka » Osaka November 10th 2008

Feeling more and more at home here in Osaka. Here are some snippets of my life over the last couple of months, which have just FLOWN by... ... read more
The new exchange students
The old exchange students
Takoyaki Party at Mariko's




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