T’Way airline – A long way to board
Having only heard great things about Japan, it was randomly made a destination on May 8th when Ueli & I noticed cheap fares to Osaka. Booking our flight and hotel immediately, we mentally prepared ourselves for colder weather in Japan.
Arriving 2 hours before flight departures hoping for a no-obstacle process at the small airport, we should’ve guessed better. Upon arriving, we had 45 minutes left until the check-in desk closed. At the desk, we were sternly told we need an outbound ticket as an absolute requirement before they can allow us to check-in. OK! So far, we had been riding on our luck and it had worked but not this time. After receiving disappointing looks from the staff and a very arrogant-know-it-all employee, we step aside frantically trying to access the internet in a low network zone.
Visa requirements for Japan – Clueless T’Way staff
The frenzy turned into stress as a polite employee comes over to me. I can already see a big question mark on his face as he slowly makes his way over to me. Now the issue seems to be with entry visas. So apparently, during the time Ueli and I were frantically searching for outbound tickets, he had called “Japan” and in fact confirmed that the passenger holding the Swiss passport needs a visa from the Japanese embassy.
As Ueli had stepped outside in search of proper reception, I tried to argue with him by showing a page from the Japanese / Swiss embassy that he did not in fact need a visa for entry. Seeming further unsure of himself, he tries to assure me that he has called “Japan” to confirm. But he says he will check again as he walks away. Now I am not sure what I should be searching for, given the race against time and the shoddy internet; search for ‘entry requirements for Swiss passport holders’ or outbound tickets from Osaka to Cairns, our next destination. By this time Ueli had come inside having found an outbound ticket and having almost booked it. Wasting no time in giving him an update, I listed out all options and alternatives that we could do if we weren’t able to convince this man that Ueli didn’t need an entry visa.
- Option 1; Not go (this would hurt the bank since the tickets and hotels were booked) and extending our trip in Guam until we were able to get in touch and obtain an unnecessary visa from the Japanese consulate in Guam.
- Option 2; Not go to Japan but go directly to Cairns instead and begin our Australia road trip earlier than expected.
Well as it turns out, the second time he came around, we showed him a Japanese government web page again saying that we were right. His response this time “Oh I am so sorry. Please go ahead with the check-in”.
This said, 5 minutes before the desk closes and outbound tickets had still not been booked. With all the commotion going on, Ueli walks towards the doors again in search of internet to book leaving me in a very awkward stare-off contest with three employees on the other side of the desk, all waiting for our bags and outbound ticket. The longest 7 minutes of my life! How can I be so sure it was 7 minutes, I watched the seconds go by on my wristwatch. Only one hour remaining until boarding.
Stressful boarding time
Plenty of time now that our bags were checked-in. What we didn’t consider is the long line at security and immigration. With restless feet, we get through both with 20 minutes left until final boarding. What a relief. But due to the combination of voluntary stops and involuntary stops while on our way to the gates, we ended up running the last 500 meters as soon as we heard our names on the speaker. Running all the way to the plane and being greeted with a plane full of passengers and their judgmental eyes, we quietly take our seats with an apologetic look in our eyes. It seems like they were only waiting for us because as soon as we sat down, the normal proceedings and security announcements had begun. Whoops! And so begins our trip to the land of the rising sun.
Final arrival in Osaka
We landed in the late afternoon and for the first time, looked at each other clueless since all the signage were in Japanese. We took the train from the airport to the Osaka main station and our hotel was just a 100m walk from the station. The first impression that strikes the newcomers immediately is the automation, efficiency, cleanliness, and keen eye for detail that the Japanese possess. Just as an example, while on the train, the seats can be flipped with the flick of a finger to face the direction of travel. Just like that! The size alone of Osaka station is daunting. With the help of few English words or exit signs, we were able to find our way out of the station. Then another 300m walk through a covered mall and into the door of our hotel. Looking at the size of the building, we were very surprised at how small the rooms were. Only one person would fit in the hallway that led to our bathroom. And the bathroom itself was no larger than two airplane toilets combined. But it worked. In the small space, we had everything we needed and even more. That evening, we went out in search for ramen, only to be faced with a hard ‘no’ in the form of two crossed arms held up to the face in an attempt to prevent us from entering the restaurant followed by an awkward decline. Since all the restaurants in the vicinity were closing, we relied on noodle soup bought at the always-reliable 7/11.
Namba
The next day, we made our way to Namba, a journey of approximately 20min by train to meet our guide for a walking tour. To our disappointment, we misread the dates and showed up one day early for the walking tour. Whoops! Not wanting to miss this chance of exploring this area, we walked away from the meeting point.
As soon as we turned the corner, it was as if we had walked into an animated world with colors borrowed from ‘The Simpsons’, flashing signs brought in from Vegas, the loud noises as if in an arcade with the faint sounds of slot machines, and most of all, the aroma of mouth watering foods that await on top of sample trays held by hopeful restaurant hosts. It was an intense sight where we would walk for kilometers with stimulants everywhere you look. From covered areas to intersections, it was as if we had stumbled upon a city on steroids. The restaurants have food displays outside and let me be clear that the actual food resembles the displays exactly.
We visited a casino of sorts filled only with slot machines. Speaking barely a word of English and using Google translate, a kind old gentleman showed me how to play. With little understanding, I figured I had to push a button and follow the trail of a tiny ball behind the screen hoping it falls into the target. And all of a sudden, the slot machine starts screaming in a woman’s voice. Having no idea what it was about and attracting a lot of unwanted attention from neighboring players, I was about to give up and walk away when another kind gentleman came up and helped me through it. Of course, with the help of Google translate again. The allure of the ball falling into its target kept me busy for at least an hour.
This is the result of a Japanese photo booth
Osaka Castle
Our next stop was the Osaka castle. The castle is surrounded by huge walls which was located in a big green park. The park was quite crowded but this was expected as the castle is the number one tourist attraction in Osaka. It was a nice day so we had a walk around the park and enjoyed the weather. Later it was time to visit the castle itself. It is a building with 5 floors I believe and on top you have a stunning view over Osaka. On the way down, we studied the history of Osaka and their Samurais. The rest of the time we used to have another walk around the stunning castle.
The wall of the Osaka castle – Impressive
Osaka Pub Crawl tour
That night, we had booked ourselves into a pub crawl of Osaka. The highlight of the day was meeting Mounica who also happened to be in Osaka. The night started with drinks at an Irish bar where we met Mounica and her parents and all the other pub crawlers. I should mention here that we almost missed out on this tour as we showed up at the wrong pub. After 20min of what seemed like fruitlessly explaining to a taxi driver where we needed to go, something clicked and the driver agreed to drive us. Not knowing whether we go in the right direction, we hoped to reach the pub in time or, on the other hand, we were prepared to tour the Osaka night life ourselves. But alas! We made it! The pub was filled with all international tourists. For a moment, I could believe that I wasn’t in Japan since we were sitting in an Irish bar accompanied by Mounica, hearing Spanish behind the bar. The night ended at a night club and a long walk back to the hotel.
Trip to Kyoto
We decided to visit Kyoto for its cultural attractions. Taking the Shinkansen, the bullet train and fastest train on earth was on our bucket list. For a trip that would normally take 2h by regular train was covered in 15min on the bullet train. Amazed by the silence of the train, inside & outside, Japan remains my favorite country for its efficiency, automation etc. as mentioned earlier.
Geisha experience
While in Kyoto, we experienced an authentic conveyor belt sushi, hot-pot, and a walking tour of the Geisha district Gion. The mysticism surrounding the Geisha culture is what attracted us towards this tour. Again showing up late, we had almost missed this tour but for a good reason this time. We were searching for a working ATM. Anyway, the tour had already started with the group of 25 people. Larger than I had expected, and we joined in on the back-end, casually walking by and immediately turning 180 degree as if that was the plan all along.
A glimpse into the life and occupation of Geisha’s (although in this part of Japan they are referred to as Maikos) and the necessity to display poise, grace, and tenderness at all times. We learned that only 250 Maikos are currently living and working in Kyoto and admittance into secret tea shops where you might see a Maiko is by invitation only. But thanks to the modern age and internet, a 2-hour Maiko experience can also be bought for a price that can buy you 2 Macbooks. We all have our priorities so Ueli & I decided to keep that amount for ourselves a little while longer.
Shinto shrine & Kiyomizu-dera temple
Also in Kyoto was a famous shinto shrine, Fushimi Inari-taisha, which walks its patrons through 1100 arches of orange all inscribed with Japanese prayers. At the top is the shrine which proudly stands as a symbol of Japan recognized all over the world. We also visited the Kiyomizu-dera temple leaving with blessings in the for of handmade trinkets that money can buy. Happiness and Success!
Famous Yotsutsuji selfie, Kyoto
Japans culture in general
Japan surprised me most for its keen eye for detail where I could walk into a room and immediately form a judgement, however the little details that I discovered after spending more time in the room would make themselves obvious and leave me utterly surprised. The people, according to me can be said to have introverted personalities, and I say that as I see older generation busy in their casino slot machines and younger generation focused on solo video games in the arcades. There is a strong sense of discipline and also a sense of loneliness among the people. They are set in their ways and rules are clearly defined. As a citizen and even more so as a tourist, you are not only expected to follow the rules strictly but show respect in every sense possible.
A real life example
An incident on our last night in Kyoto left Ueli and I feeling flabbergasted when we saw a bar owner rudely refuse service to a group of 4 French tourists. The reason, the ladies were not ordering drinks and, according to the owner, had an attitude. At first, we assumed lack of tactfulness from both parties, however, our support for the french patrons declined drastically when they sent a policeman to the bar. Whether these disgruntled tourists were expecting an arrest for refusal of service. We will never know! With this, we walked away with an impression that the locals have rules and expect the customers/tourists to follow and respect these rules. Or maybe we just went to the wrong bar! Lol!
An eventful train ride back to Osaka airport and ready for the next adventure. Road trip through Australia. But rest assured, I will be back in Japan!
Alisha
Japan Gallery
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