Dirty Osaka!

New Hotel, New life!

So with an interesting introduction to Osaka, we jumped straight onto the internet at the business hotel and tried to find another accommodation ASAP!! Normally it would be fine and easy, the only trick was to be able to find somewhere for the full 12 nights over golden week. We were successful and found a nice hotel at a decent price closer to the main trendy area of Osaka… just up the road! THANK GOD!!! Except there were 2 nights we couldn’t find accommodation anywhere! So without shooting ourselves in the foot we planned to cancel the reservation at the shit hotel except for those two nights as backup.

A million dollar view

So in order to get some sleep and pass the night we had a few drinks and passed out well and truly, drank enough to feel comfortable with the place! Yet we woke up bright and early to the trains right outside our window. We jumped out of bed, having unpacked nothing, and headed off to our new hotel! Mind you, we felt damn guilty as we told the staff of our plans (of course telling them we were heading to another city instead!). The staff at this hotel were sooooooo genuinely friendly, it made the guilt harder. The best staff we’d had so far on the trip! Sayonara Mr Shit Hotel.

Happy to be out of there we went off to our new hotel, The Fujiya Hotel, and dumped our bags and explored what Osaka had on offer. First stop Dotonbori St (nightlife) and Shinsaibashi St (shopping). We hit the shops and did some decent shopping.

Crazy Asian streets

More sleeping Japanese

blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

fugu!

Random figurine. Only just got famous cause it was closing! Constantly surrounded by Japanese people taking photos

Safe on the bridge wall, and attractive

Any place just wouldn't be Japan without walls of neon signage

American town clown

Crazy building

They start young

Gay rock star - everywhere

Japans true mascot

Lesbian rock?

Shibuya girls, but Osaka!

After going back to our new hotel we were soooo happy we changed! The new hotel was about a minute walk from Dotonbori, so we grabbed some food and nomihodai at an izakaya, and then passed out exhausted.

Animals and Namba Park

The next day we went to Osaka zoo, probably the most depressing zoo so far, although I guess the only thing it had going for it was the fact they were building some new habitats which weren’t too bad. Also the peeing statue was gold.

Entry to woulds saddest zoo

Dead or a live?

The usual cute randomness

Hmmm.... they're so real

Japs getting affectionate in public. Unusual

Classy

If that's a good habitat then I've been educated completely wrong

Exhausted and happy we had finally settled into Osaka, we think our bodies new it and all they
wanted to do was relax and sleep! Knowing that we had 10 days ahead in the one place made us feel we could chill the hell out! After a long siesta we headed out and stumbled upon Namba Park. So far Osaka hadn’t given us a great first impression. Everything was dirty, old and a majority of the people were just as rude as people had said.

Thank god we found Namba Park. The cleanest, newest spot in Osaka that we had discovered. Basically it was a new shopping mall. We had the most amazing Chinese all you can eat. After some more shopping we had some 100yen sushi we once again passed out exhausted.

Universal Studios: Take 1

After realising that even though Osaka is Japans 3^rd largest city, it really isn’t that big. Particularly when you’re used to Tokyo, a mega city made of several CBDs. So we decided to head to Universal Studios (although that was already part of the plan)!!! It was awesome and the rides were great, lots of simulations. The Spiderman, Back to the Future and Hollywood Dreams roller coaster were the best.

Yay!!

Cute...

Cuddly...

Hilarious

Cam actually preferred Universal Studios to Disney. Sophi, a lover of both!! We guess a blessing for Osaka that they were given Universal Studios, the best tourist attraction in town! (Tokyo got Disney)

Snoopy!

Yum!

Finally made it there!

Best ride

Snoopy is taking over the world

What Osaka has to offer: Scorpion Bar

Another attempt to see what was on offer in this city. As usual the typical aquarium, temples and museums. Completely over these we decided to head to the Floating Observatory Garden, said to have amazing views of Osaka. We headed there near Osaka station. Once again everything was filthy, and the tower was nothing special, just a normal building with a cement roof. Where was the garden? The architecture of the building was the most interesting feature.

From the ground view: Floating Garden

The view was decent......

...especially the guy with the killer tan line

Over it we headed to Namba and walked through to the American area. Which we realised stumbled into the love hotel area. Some kooky exteriors. All we wanted was a drink. The eternal exploration in hope to find a ‘normal’ bar in Japan. Always so bitterly disappointing! We did find a Mexican restaurant run by a Canadian. We tucked into some delicious tacos and some tequila shots.

Campai!

The night had started. From the recommendation of the restaurant owner, we went to a bar called the Scorpion Bar. Not far fro our hotel. So we ventured there and were pleasantly surprised. A normal Japanese sized bar fitting on about 12 people in it. However the staff was awesome, it was owned by Japanese guy (friend of the restaurant owner) and the waitress was a French girl with a Middle Eastern background. We made s friend with the Japanese guy next to us who turned out to be a regular… and a damn big drinker for a Japanese man! Something which would’ve been helpful to know prior to the drinking competitions!

The bar lived true to its name, and catered vodka with a scorpion in the bottle. They also served a French brand of Sambuca. Cam and our new friend started having drinking comps of the sambuca, while Sophi slammed down her jagerbombs (such a rarity now a days) with the bar man.

Always remember to look up in Japan

Good advertising

Cam found someone with a bigger nose

Oishii!

Scorpion crew, the beginning of the end

Cam soon started to fade and pass out on his stool. As stubborn as usual he didn’t want to leave then eventually gave a drunken jerk of his head…. Sophi took that as a nod… and we left the bar. Realising that they had been trying to close maybe for a while as we were the last ones there and it was about 2am.

On the way out a funny looking guy dressed up as Ronald McDonald head to toe, was sitting on the ground chatting with a girl. Cam ran up and tackled him, had a few laughs, then realised that the girl was in tears and he had just bombarded a D&M.

Asian Ronald McDonald rocks!

Movies and Namba Parks

Waking with a killer hangover and only the photos on the camera as a memory, an easy day was decided. Namba Parks here we come. Not feeling like dealing with the filth of the city some shopping and movies was in order. Next and Lions for Lambs were the choice of the day.

Heaven: The cleanest place in Osaka

Sophi’s sceptical thought

Interesting to see this movie in Japan, a country historically whose power was controlled by the US, like many other countries of this time. As Americas reputation continues to take a bad turn globally over the past 6 years, it is evident the message behind this movie.

A fictional insight to the possibilities of the current political situation regarding USA troops in the Middle East. It helps to open ones eyes to the notorious generalisations of Americans of late.

However, as we sat in the Osaka cinema, people around seemed to huff and puff at times. Was it boredom? Disinterest? Or just plain bodily air finding a way out?

There seems to be very little bitterness on the surface of the Japanese. Once again it’s the ‘wa’ of keeping the general peace through politeness and non-confrontation.

Does a movie like this have the same empowering effect on a country whose history in a way is mirrored in today’s current events?

Some may think that the empathy for this situation has been dulled. Agreeably so.