Blogs from Osaka, Osaka, Japan, Asia - page 8

After my 5 days in Kyoto I was off to stay at the Eko-in temple in Koyasan, Mount Koya is nearly 3000 feet above sea level and is the headquarters of the Shingon school of esoteric Buddhism. I had to catch 4 trains a cable car and a bus to get there but that is all part of the fun. Due to its height it was below zero most of the time and snowing. Many of the temples open up their doors as lodging for visitors and although it’s not cheap when you take into the fact that you get an amazing vegetarian meal and a breakfast it is quite reasonable (around £60 a night. I chose Eko-in as it is the only temple that doesn’t charge a single supplement. Included in the visit is a ... read more

I arrived into Kansai airport in Osaka, courtesy of Peach Airlines (the Ryanair of Japan.) The morning in Hong Kong was complicated, long and difficult in almost every way possible but from the moment I touched down in Japan I had a pleasant experience. I had a nutritious, set meal in Osaka airport with soup, fish, pork noodles, vegetables and green tea. All toilet seats in the airport were heated and I was able to get into a ladies only carriage on the Osaka train to my hostel (I think these exist so men don't hassle us and we feel safer at night.)Once I left the airport I got the Osaka train and was given a manual written in English with a step by step guide on how to buy a train ticket and how to ... read more

21st Sept: We arrived at Osaka Station pretty late, about eight o'clock. The signage wasn't great, but we found the right platform to take the train to our hostel. We let the first train go by as we didn't think it was the right one and we didn't really want to end up somewhere random. The second train looked a lot more promising and we got on that feeling slightly more confident. I think it was only one stop, maybe two, to our hostel. The walk from the subway was about five minutes and really easy, we didn't get lost. The staff at the hostel were lovely and helped us plan what to do that evening. We had our own room, which was nice, although it was right up on the fifth floor, that was a ... read more

Konnichiwa! Today's entire day was dedicated to Universal Studios in Osaka. I'm not a huge amusement park guy but I do enjoy walking around and seeing the sites. The problem was that today was hotter and mustier than the devil's armpit after he ran a triathlon. It seems each day keeps going up in temperature. "You still think it can't get hotter? Well, let me move the heat dial from an 8 to a 9 and see how you like it!" Seriously, it was baking hot. I knew I was going to be a sweaty mess, but I felt relieved when I saw that all the Japanese people were sweaty messes as well. And speaking of the Japanese people, the park was crowded with them. Like, I think all of them. That place was jam packed. ... read more

Thursday, 23rd May 2013 I started my final morning in Hiroshima with a visit to the Mazda Stadium and the Hiroshima World Peace Memorial Cathedral. Having started out very early in the morning, the city was only starting to wake up by the time I finished my walk. Breakfast was decided at Royal Host, a western-inspired local café chain. What I liked about these Japanese eateries was that for a fixed price, I could help myself to a wide variety of quality beverages available at the drinks bar. By mid-morning, I was ready to say goodbye to Hiroshima and proceed to my last two stops in Japan. From Hiroshima, I travelled 342km on my final leg of the Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka. All in all, at the end of nine days, I would have covered more than ... read more