Today I took the JR train to Osakako, to visit the famous aquarium here in Osaka, located at Tempozan Harbor Village. It was great. Outside there is a giant ferris wheel. Inside the aquarium there is a range of animals (all looked after in very good conditions) and fish from the Japan Forest to any fish you can find in the Pacific Ocean. My favourite ones were river otters (I saw them being fed too) ,sea otters, long spine porcupine fish, Capybaras (he is the largest of the rodent family and looks like an enormous mouse, he is by far my favourite,) penguins, fish from the great barrier reef, loggerhead sea turtles, giant spider crabs and ringed seals. At the end of my visit to the aquarium I got the chance to touch three types of ... read more

I left early morning to get the train from Hakata (Fukuoka) on Kyushu island and arrived in Tokyo about 5pm. I had arranged to meet my friend Joe in central Tokyo at the Hachiko dog statue outside Shibuya station, with the plan of having a coffee with him and taking the sleeper train from Tokyo at 7pm up to Hokkaido in the far north of Japan. I really wanted to see Joe as we haven’t seen each other in a few years and wanting to make the most of my train pass and see the entire island I really wanted to visit it but I hadn’t realised how tiring the travelling was going to be. Really I didn’t have enough energy to do both but I was determined not to miss out on a fabulous opportunity! ... read more

The JR bullet train pass is great. I can go on almost any train in Japan including local and some subway trains. There are so many places I want to see in Japan, so much food I want to savour and so many insights I want to gain into the culture. However, after yesterday I’ve decided I need to slow down a bit. For each city I visit I need to first of all find the correct bullet train (there are four different types that go to the same place all at different paces, some I cannot get on,) I then need to find the correct platform (in some stations there are 50 platforms all in the same area of the station,) on the local streetcars (old trams) I need to find out the fare, find ... read more

I went to the very famous spa world which just happened to be around the corner from my hostel. Spa world is made up of saunas from all different parts of the world and just so happened to be giving out discounted tickets. It has six floors. On the top floor there is a family swimming area where people must wear swimsuits and on floor 4 there is a Europe spa (for women on odd months of the year) and on another floor there is Asia spa (for men on odd numbered months and women on even numbered months.) It also has lots of spa treatments on the other floors. Spas are part of the Japanese ritual and all Japanese people take a bath on an evening usually around 7pm. So I went to try spa ... 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