Well, I’ve made it back from my trip with lots of memories, souvenirs (mostly food), and few extra pounds. I had a great time visiting friends and having fun is Osaka, as well as doing a tour around the north part of Kyushu. I took some notes every day and have tons of pictures (here is a gallery of all of the non-terrible ones), so this will be a bit of a summary of how things went. Forgive my grammar, but there was a good mix of notes from morning, mid-day and evening (or the following day) so things might use weird tenses. Buckle up, this will be a long one.

Day 0: Travel to Osaka

This felt like the longest day of travelling in quite a while. It’s probably due to the one extra connection compared to flying directly to Osaka via Vancouver. It ended up being a shuttle to Toronto, a flight to Chicago, a flight to Narita, a flight to Osaka Itami, and then another shuttle to Namba station (followed by a short subway ride). Considering my Toronto shuttle left at 3:30AM, I was pretty wiped getting in at around 8PM, japan time – ~27 hours later. I went to the convenience store across the street and picked up can chuhai, a sandwich, and a weird looking limited-edition steamed meat bun that was black, and tasted slightly like charcoal. Would not recommend that last one, but it was interesting to say the least.

Day 1: First day back

It’s been weird being back in Japan, especially Osaka. Rather than it being like going on a vacation, it felt more like coming home in a way, which was also nice, but different. On my way over, it certainly felt less exciting than a normal trip, which was a bit disappointing, but I’m still really happy to be back.

I spent most of the day wandering the neighborhood. The room was very close to the Hanazonocho and Tengachaya stations, which was very convenient, and both of those lines are about 2 stops away from where I used to live. I had been up in this area before but I wasn’t really familiar with the side streets.

Due to the time difference, I was up bright and early, but, with the exception of chain restaurants, basically nothing is open before 9:30 or 10, and even then, not a whole lot. I was trying to find some breakfast, in a cafe or something, but I had a hard time finding anything. Eventually, I found a place in a pretty big shopping arcade north of the station and finally got some breakfast.

The rest of my day was spent in my old watering hole, Beppinsan. I was weirdly nervous to go in, I’m not sure why, but I had a lot of fun meeting up with the staff, and some regulars, and some new people I hadn’t seen before. Would have been even better if I wasn’t jet lagged, but I ended up heading back a little early.

Day 2: Fun in Osaka and meeting friends

I took it pretty easy in the morning, relaxing a bit and catching up on some studying. In the afternoon, I checked out a manga exhibition that was happening in Osaka by the Manga Time Kirara publisher, which was really cool. I wish I could have taken more pictures, but all except one room was pretty much a no-photos zone. I discovered it by chance while browsing twitter and randomly clicking on one of the ‘recommended’ people to follow, which happened to be for that publisher. The exhibit had a lot of history of the company, including every magazine they ever published, and a lot of new original comics and art. I also picked up a tote bag and a mug from their store, too. It was a really cool experience.

I also checked out a little autumn lantern festival at the Goryo shrine in Osaka. It was a smaller shrine, and the grounds were lit up with lanterns, as well as some food stands selling your typical festival foods. I got some karaage and sat down at a small stage set up where there was a man singing with a ukulele for a small crowd. He called me out a couple times and apologized for his English to me before singing Kokomo. I told him he sounded like the real deal.

After this, I went to a language meet-up, similar to the ones I had gone to while living there. I met up with my good friends, Issei and Caroline, and we had some fun drinking and chatting with different folks. I called it a night early, hopefully the last of the jet lag will pass by tomorrow.

Day 3: Hanging out with Tommy

After another quiet morning, I met up with my friend Tommy and his friend who he was travelling with, Connor, in Dotonbori. Tommy and I had both booked trips to Japan independently and just happened to be in the same city on the same day, so I thought it would be great to meet up. We spent the day hopping from restaurant to restaurant, drinking and eating (and drinking and eating) including the place I that I take everyone, the kushikatsu restaurant, Ginan.

I had a great time with Tommy and Connor. It was my first time meeting Connor and we had a great chat and I learned that he has exactly the same taste in anime as me, so I had a lot of fun talking about that. He was also a riot talking to people at neighboring tables, where he would purposefully mispronounce Kampai like ‘Can-pie’. There were a lot of laughs that evening, and a hell of a lot of drinks. It was great to meet up with Tommy, and I’m happy I could show them around a bit.

Day 4: Meeting up with Issei’s family

I was excited to see Issei’s family today and go out for dinner. In the morning, I had to work around someone who was coming in to clean my room, which was a pain in the ass, but I was able to work around it and left for Issei’s in the afternoon.

It was lovely seeing everybody, and I was especially grateful that they were willing to take my suitcase, so I didn’t have to lug it around during my 1 week tour of Kyushu, and I can travel relatively light. We did a bit of catching up and then went to a ‘yakitori’ restaurant. It turned out to be really tasty chicken, but we were a bit surprised, because it was chicken done in a yakiniku style, rather than the more common yakitori skewers. It’s a shame I don’t have time to see them much more this trip, but I was really glad to have had the chance to catch up with them.

Day 5: Issei and Caroline in Kyoto

This will be the last night in Osaka until I return from Kyushu, so I spent the morning at the laundromat so that I would have a bag of clean clothes ready. I tried packing all of my luggage in my backpack, and it ended up a bit on the overfull side, but I can make do (I hope). I really should have tried to pack everything before getting rid of my suitcase, I probably would have taken less clothes! In the early afternoon, I headed out to Kyoto to walk around Uji with Caroline and Issei and do some sake tasting.

The quick walk/hike around Uji was nice. It’s a place famous for it’s tea, and also the Byodo-in temple, which is featured on the 10-yen coin. We had a good time chatting and walking around the area, spending a bit of time until our reservation at a sake-tasting restaurant. There were a lot of really delicious sake varieties in their sampler, plus you could order food from around 8 different restaurants to your table. It was great having time to catch up with Caroline and Issei, both of whom might be coming to Canada in the not-to-distant future. Here’s hoping I can meet them here as well!

Afterwards, we headed back to Umeda for some more food. We ended up at a fondue place that was maybe not the greatest. Caroline seemed particularly put off by the menu/food, as being from France, she really knows here cheese. As a first fondue for me, I thought it was alright (but really expensive). After that, I ended up at a yakitori place right next to my hotel. It’s open unusually late, and I had a lot of fun talking to the locals. I hope to go there again!

Day 6: Fukuoka

I finally got to use the JR pass that I purchased before the trip. Unlimited travel across Japan’s main national rail system was worth the price, I probably saved a few hundred dollars.

I was given a bunch of tips on where to find some delicious food in Fukuoka, and I’m not really sure where I’ll end up, but I’m excited to see the city. After a trip on the Shinkansen, I got confused by my airbnb instructions, as I had to check in a couple kilometers away from where I was actually staying. Once I got checked in to my room (which was very large compared to the last place), I took a little bit of a break and then headed out for some food.

My first stop was to an Oktoberfest event they were having right down the street from where I was staying. It was very lively and the food was good, as well as many types of German beer, but it was around $15~20 per pint, which was a bit on the crazy side! It must be expensive to import.

Afterwards I went for a walk around town. There were the most sexy times kyabakura/soaplands I’ve seen since I walked through Kabukicho. The yatais on the river were neat, but the atmosphere there felt very rushed, and it was lousy with tourists. I kind of wanted to spend more time there, but they kind of rush you out as soon as you are done eating, so that more people can sit. I did find a good tachinomi on the way back to the hotel, so I’ll count that as a win.

Day 7: Fukuoka – Day 2

I hung around the apartment all morning streaming the Canadian election results on my phone. After that, I got some delicious ramen and went to the nearby famous Dazaifu temple. It was jam-packed with people, since it was a public holiday celebrating the enthronement (or something) of the new emperor, Naruhito. The temple was nice, and I enjoyed walking around the grounds with some ice cream (it was still fairly warm in late October)

Afterwards, I returned to the city and had a really pleasant boat tour. After some (more) really tasty ramen from a place that was recommended to me, I went back to the tachinomi I went to yesterday and met some Australian and English friends who stopped by. They had another couple bars they were going to so I tagged along for a night of bar hopping. My body started rebelling against the last week of stuffing it with tons of food and booze. On top of that I’m starting to feel a cold coming on or something. Nothing bad so far, but I might take it easy from here on out. [Editors note: I did not]

Day 8: Saga

I went to Saga city today, which is the capitol of Saga prefecture. Without any big ideas of what to do, I guess I will figure it out when I get there.

I walked around the castle, which was neat and got some tasty pork lunch set. I was mostly just trying to kill 4 hours before checking in to my room. Saga city seems pretty boring. At least I picked a room right around a lot of sketchy snack bars and love hotels and stuff.

Ended up going to a local craft beer bar and had a good time talking with some of the locals, and also had some great Curry. While I was there, I helped translate for a Hong Kong couple that walked in, which was fun!

Day 9: Nagasaki

So I made my way to Nagasaki and was greeted by my B&B host Koichiro. He picked me up and showed me around a bit before having me check in and wait a little bit while he picked up another guest. Afterwards, he took me and a Scottish guy who just arrived, Richard, on a quick tour around the city in his car. Koichiro was really nice, but his hearing is really bad, and his English can be pretty hard to understand. He was also trying to charge me for the room despite me prepaying for the nights through AirBnb. I’ll have to straighten it out tomorrow.

Koichiro dropped me and Richard off at a museum for some reason, and we didn’t really feel like trying to ask him about it because he was a bit hard to communicate with. It turned out the museum was pretty interesting though. Afterwards, we went to Chinatown for a bit and tried Champon for the first time. It was alright, but I think I’ll stick to regular ramen! Not sure what the plan for tomorrow is, but I’m looking forward to finally having a proper breakfast.

Day 10: Nagasaki, Day 2

I woke up for a great breakfast bright and early-ish (well, for vacation) at 8AM. The food would not stop coming, the owner had some delicious fresh baked bread. I ate up the breakfast on the table hungrily and happily, but after I was done, I kept getting plates and plates of food until I was stuffed, it was really good. That morning I spoke with Richard and we seemed to be planning to go see basically the same places, so we decided to head out together and check out the various spots in the city.

First off, we went to a street that had 10 or so temples right next to each other. They were also built on a hill and had a ton of stairs to climb, at least it was some good exercise! We wandered into on temple and a man working in a reception area paged somebody for us. It turns out there was an American man there training to be a Buddhist monk, and he showed us around the temple grounds for a bit and explained all about Buddhism. He was very nice and had a really Buddhist Monk calm aura about him. The temples also had a ton of cats living there too.

Afterward, we took a brief stop through the Chinatown area, and then ended up in Dejima, an important historical part of Nagasaki. They had a large museum there, and recently had been rebuilding/renovating the small man-made island. For a few hundred years, it had been one of the only places that foreigners (especially the Dutch) could enter the country. There was a lot of interesting exhibits there.

We then did a walk around the Peace Park. There were a lot of statues there, donated from various countries across the world. There were also school kids singing a song about walking from Hiroshima, and putting up a bunch of paper cranes. I’m not sure if they were actually kids from Hiroshima or it was just the song, but both cities share the same history of bombing from WW2, so I think it is likely a tradition to come visit. There is also a museum in this city that has to do with the atomic bomb, but I think seeing the Hiroshima one was probably enough for me. I recommend it, as it’s important to know about, but it’s a real downer.

Lastly, we went to Inasa-yama mountain observatory to see the amazing night view of the city. It was pretty crowded with tourists, but it was worth waiting for sunset, as it has an amazing view of the city lit up at night. After that, on the way back, we stopped by a little izakaya close to the B&B. The owner was so happy he could talk with a foreigner he kept the place open after closing and kept pouring us free drinks. I really need to start taking is easy.

Day 11: Kumamoto

I left Nagasaki and headed to my final destination in Kyushu, Kumamoto. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure I’ve come down with something. I want to rest. Apparently there are some nice hot springs and stuff in the area, but I decided to just take it easy and tour the castle area. The castle grounds are closed most days because of collapses due to earthquakes a few years ago. It’s still under construction for restoration, so I didn’t get to go inside, but I did tour around the grounds. It was very impressive, they had stones lined up from collapsed walls with numbers chalked on to them based on pre-damage photos. Apparently they plan on putting each stone back in the correct place in those collapsed walls!

After I stopped for some basashi, which was pretty good! After a couple drinks I called it a night. Overall I really liked the atmosphere of Kumamoto, it’s not a huge city, but they’ve got an amazing evening restaurant/retail/drinking area. I’d love to go back some day.

Day 12: Back to Osaka

I Headed back to Osaka in the morning, it was quite a long trip. Hiromi was kind enough to drop off my suitcase for me in the city, rather than me having to make a big round trip to their place. That was so nice of her! I barely made it in time to meet my my former Japanese tutor, Kuri-sensei, for dinner. We had a good time together with her family and another student. It was tight timing but I just barely got checked in and got my suitcase in time for the dinner plans (well actually I was 15 minutes late). It was still great setting everyone again. Afterwards I spent the rest of the night at beppinsan, and another bar near Tamade with some friends.

Day 13: Shopping for souvenirs

Getting close to the end of the trip now, I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to bring back. I think I will spend today shopping, and go see Hiromi and Caroline tomorrow.

Ended up spending the day collecting some foods and souvenirs and stuff. Got some nice knives and some booze, as well as some anime goods. Ended the evening doing some laundry and enjoying some chicken skewers and some more time at Beppinsan.

Day 14: Meeting up with friends

Today going to get some food with the Takehara family for lunch, one last time before I head back. We ended up eating at Mokukindo, where we have gone together before. They specialize in Okonomiyaki (an Osaka specialty) and Monjayaki (a Tokyo specialty). It’s a little bit far from the city, but it was worth the travel. The food was delicious, and the company was great!

Once we were done, I headed back to Namba to meet Caroline for dinner. Dinner with Caroline was also really nice, we ate at an Italian place in Namba. I had been there before but forgot about it until I stepped in. It’s one of the few places in Japan where you can get fresh cheese. We had some really tasty pasta and enjoyed some drinks and catching up.

Day 15: Kobe

Getting packed in the morning, and I think I’ve filled my suitcase pretty full of snacks and stuff. I’m trying to manage my money so I don’t have to take out another 10,000 yen from an ATM. I headed off to meet a friend for lunch in Kobe. We went for expensive Kobe beef, which may have been the best thing I’ve ever eaten! It was so juicy and prepared right in front of us. It was maybe $80 for their lunch course (the cheapest thing they serve), but it was totally worth it.

Afterwards my friend took me up Rokkou mountain, the highest mountain range in the Kobe area, where there was a fantastic view. After seeing some beautiful sights and doing a quick hike around, I had a quick goodbye at Beppinsan and then called it for the evening. Early morning flight. What a busy trip, it was a lot of fun!

Day 16: Bonus travel complaint edition

Not my best travel day.
I got up bright and early around 5, finish packing and getting ready to head out at 6.

First lesson: its not easy getting around stations with 2 suitcases, that was annoying and slowed me down quite a bit.
Second lesson: there are always like 4 stations with the same name, and I ended up at the Namba bus terminal instead of the JR Namba bus terminal (not to be confused with the other bus terminal that is beside the Namba bus terminal). I ended up getting a later bus to the airport, good thing I padded some time in, but I made it with a little bit of time to spare, it was pretty stressful.

Got from ITM to Narita, had a fairly short layover, got put in an exit row, which was nice for the leg room, but it meant I couldn’t store and luggage in front of me and had to use the bins, which was a bit annoying. All in all, a decent flight.

It was snowing in Chicago. After a couple hour layover (including an unannounced gate change, thanks), we boarded, and after sitting there 10 minutes after departure time, the captain tells us that they are having maintenance come to look at an issue with the door letting some water in… no big deal, 20 minutes later we are finally ready to leave, and by that, I mean get the plane de-iced, which took another 30 minutes. We left basically just late enough that I missed getting my RobertQ shuttle back to London, so I nearly got bumped from 3:30PM to 7:00PM, but thankfully a spot opened up at 6:00. I really didn’t want to spend more time at the airport!

I finally get into town, there’s no food at home, and I’ve been waiting all day. I stopped by taco bell on the way home so I can have something to eat.
I put in my order, paid, and waited and waited… apparently they forgot to do something because I sat there for about 10 minutes before they very apologetically said my order got bumped behind something else in the system… SO MUCH WAITING TODAY GRRR. At least I got a free cheesecake from that one!

Hooray, home at last.

Afterthoughts:

Travelling to Japan, especially Osaka, has changed for me since I lived there. I still want to go back, even now, but its more to see familiar faces than just another exciting travel destination.

This was the first time I had done any touring, and if I were to do it again, I would probably book 3 nights in one city, and 3 nights in another, then do day trips, rather than doing 2-1-2-1. It was a lot of time spent checking in/out, and a pain carrying my stuff around, especially just to go somewhere for a day. I’ll have to keep that in mind in the future.

It was a pain to lug back, but I’m happy I took a second suitcase so I could bring back a bunch of snacks. They are so expensive to get shipped here, and it will keep me going for a few months, I hope.

Next year, I’m not sure where I’ll be going. Of course I’d love to visit Japan again, but if I keep going, I can’t really do any other big trips. I would like to see Europe as well. I’ll have to think on it.