"My First Japan Trip, The Tale of The Four Cities (Part 1)"

After 7 hours in the air, we arrived at Kansai International Airport in the afternoon. From there, we took the airport limousine bus to Osaka City Air Terminal (OCAT), which was close to our accommodations. 

By the time we got to our rooms, the night was in full swing. Not content to sit around, we went out and visited the Dottonbori area, with its many signs and lights. One sign stood out amongst the rest; of a man in white, posing for victory on a blue track field.

The so-called "Glico Man", as it were, stood out due to its rather dated appearance and design. When compared to its flashier and more modern neighbours, the Glico Man looked like an old man in the middle of a club; lost and confused.. 

And yet, it alone has survived the ravages of time and taste, becoming a beloved icon to locals and foreigners alike. Guess you can't really judge a book by its cover, huh..?

Dokumentasi Pribadi

We wandered around a bit more before we decided to head back,  impressed at what we saw and eager for what lies ahead.

Second Day:

We woke early, checking out even as the sun peeked above the horizon. Our schedule for the day was packed, due to in no small part of the "Osaka Amazing Pass" we bought the day before. It allowed us to use public transport for free as well as free pass to most tourist sites. Otherwise, we would have had to buy tickets constantly to move around.

Due to time constraints, we only managed to visit two tourist sites: the Umeda Sky Building and the Osaka Castle. We went to Umeda Sky Building first, catching the Midosuji Line subway from Namba Station to Umeda Station. Light rain greeted us when we arrived at the place, which dare to say, looks better close up than in pictures. 

The building consist of two towers that are connected to each other by an observatory in the middle, called the Floating Garden Observatory. The city views it offers are spectacular, to say the least; perfect for creative endeavours, or simply to appreciate the true scale of things.

Once we were satisfied, we continued our journey to Osaka Castle. We went to the Higashi-Umeda Station to catch Tanimachi Line heading for the closest station to Osaka Castle: the Tanimachiyonchome Station. 

The walk to the castle took quite a while, the road winding this and that way ever so slightly, climbing up slowly to the structure in question. At a distance, the castle already looked impressive, but it was only when I was under its shadow that I realized its true beauty. Its insides may have been reconstructed to better fit its current status as a tourist attraction, but its outside remained the same; strong, elegant, and filled with history.

Dokumentasi Pribadi

Both Umeda Sky Building and Osaka Castle were excellent places with their own unique charm; the Sky Building offering a glorious panorama of the Osakan skyline, and the Castle offering a quaint lesson in Japanese history. One was a vision of the future, and the other a reminder of the past. Neither felt out of place.

While travelling to both sites, we encountered another facet of Japanese culture that's often seen but rarely talked about: WALKING. With excellent public transportation, the Japanese public saw little need for private automobiles and motorcycles, opting instead to either walk or cycle to where their trains and buses cannot reach.

Once we were done with the sightseeing, we returned to the OCAT to wait for our bus, headed for Kochi. But I will always remember this city. Osaka was an eye opener for me in quite a number of ways. 

For one thing, it was where I first encountered firsthand Japanese efficiency and excellent work ethic. Be it at an airport, a bus station, the subway, or even a simple intersection, there was never a moment where I felt stressed or worried if the system was working or not. They just do, which, to me as an Indonesian, both surprised and pleased me greatly..

TO BE CONTINUED