Looking Back: Japan Solo Trip - Day 1: Nara & Osaka
Japan, the country of million wonders, the country of the rising sun, where traditions blend with technologies and the traditional with the modern, has always fascinated me with its well-preserved cultural practices, groundbreaking technologies, breathtaking landscapes, and endless culinary delights. In the past, most people would have to think twice before making up their mind to visit Japan without joining any tour or some sort. While some would enjoy the thrill of trying to figure out which train in Tokyo would take them back to their hotel, some would be more than paranoid to learn that English was really limited there, even in big cities, such as Tokyo and Osaka.
Things, however, have taken a 180-degree turn as Japan is now clearly focusing on improving its tourism industry, and, as a result, though spoken English is still scarcely available, signs and directions in English can now be easily spotted almost at every public spot, most noticeably in major cities than in rural areas. More and more people nowadays can travel to Japan a lot way easier than before, as it sucks in foreign tourists relentlessly like a black hole. This is proven by the fact that there were more than 24 million overseas visits to Japan in 2016, the highest it has ever been recorded. With little to no Japanese, with no friends or relatives there, many vacationers now have the guts to come and explore Japan with bumbling, google maps, and google translate as their primary means of survival.
Japan, however, was a place that had always been too far for me to reach as a child, and I thought to myself probably I would never be able to set my foot on it. I made a solemn vow to myself that one day I would visit Japan no matter what it took me to realize it! In January 2014, as I’d turned 20 the previous year, I embarked on a ten-day budget solo trip across Japan – a truly memorable tale to tell.
DAY 1 – KIX – NARA - OSAKA
Upon arriving at Kansai International Airport, I went straight away to the immigration and rushed to the airport’s post office to claim my rental MiFi (an essential in exploring urban jungles). The rental MiFi was, of course, there to help me navigate around the nation, mainly for accessing Hyperdia, a train–route-finding site, google maps in desperate situations, and to some extent, social media. After securing my rental MiFi, I was headed to the IC Card machine to get one and charged it with 2000 yen; hence, I could ride on trains that were not covered by my JR Pass.
Across was the train station, from which I took the JR Kansai Airport Rapid Service to Fukushima station in Osaka, which was the closest station to my hostel. The hostel I stayed in Osaka was called J-Hoppers, and it has several other hostels or guesthouses across the nation. On this trip, I had the opportunity to stay at three of their hostels: Osaka, Kyoto, and Hida Takayama.
I went to Nara as soon as I had finished checking in and put my stuff at the hostel. From the Fukushima Station, the JR Yamatoji Rapid Service was able to reach the Nara station in less than 1 hour.
The first thing I did upon my arrival in Nara was to get the Nara 1 Day Bus Pass for 500 yen at the city’s tourist information center (though I’m pretty sure nowadays there have been other places that sell it) noticeable by the city mascot standing right in front of it. The pass gives you unlimited free bus ride in Nara for a day.
It wasn’t long until I found myself swarmed by the deer army of Nara on my way to Todaiji temple. The fun thing is you can buy deer crackers and if you try to feed them, some of them will bow first before taking their treats – what well-mannered folks.
I think it was around 2 pm when I arrived at Todaiji Temple, and I was immediately mesmerized by its enormity. Todaiji houses one of the world’s biggest bronze Daibutsu (Buddha) statues and some other antiques from the past. I was told by one of the guys at the souvenir shop that the building itself dated back as far as the 700s, and it, along with the Daibutsu, had been rebuilt and reconstructed multiple times. Oh, the entrance fee was 500 yen.
Done with Todaiji, my feet brought me to the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. It was a long walk passing the Nara Park and on to a winding trail that was fringed by jizo statues and lanterns
The outer offering hall was free of charge, but I had to pay 500 yen to get into the inner area. One noticeable feature of this shrine is the hundreds of, or maybe thousands of lanterns this shrine has. Some were in plain grey while some were in gold.
I found myself at the back entrance. I remember clearly that I was almost frozen to death waiting for the bus to come, mainly due to bad clothing, when I was offered a can of warm corn soup by the lady sitting next to me. It was at this time when all of a sudden a song by Louis Armstrong played in my head –What a wonderful world.
You know, if you come to Nara, besides the deer, the main highlight is the temples, most of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Thus, I also tried to visit the Kofukuji temple, but sadly it was already closed.
If I may recall, this was when I reached my limit as it had begun snowing, forcing me to take shelter in a museum, whose staff was more than kind to even offer me a cup of warm tea. Again, the song played in my head – What a wonderful world. I found myself once again back in Osaka, but instead of going back to the hostel, I decided to go to Dotonbori, where I began my culinary adventure. Just for your reference, I hadn’t taken a single bite before, so I think it was very sensible of me to fill my stomach to its content.
There are just oodles of foods that you have to try in Dotonbori or to be more precise in Osaka, such as ramen, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu, kitsune udon, teppanyaki, fugu sashimi, and more and more and more. No wonder people say that Osakans spend more of their time on food than on anything else.
I tried the ramen at Kiryu Ramen, whose stall was easily spotted thanks to its conspicuous dragon ornament. That was my first ramen in Japan, and I gotta say it was AMA-freakin-ZING though I may be biased since I was famished at that time.
Done with my first ramen in Japan, I went straight away to get myself some takoyaki. You gotta see how fast the guy turns the octopus balls around.
I’m pretty sure I crammed down some more foods, but unfortunately I can’t recall what they were nor do I have any pictures of them (Hey, I was enjoying my food).
Time showed 11 pm, and I didn’t want to miss the last train, so I brought myself back to the JR-Namba Station, transferred at the Imamiya Station, and hopped onto the Osaka Loop Line which took me back to Fukushima Station. A short five-minute walk and I was back at the hostel, ready to hit the hay and for the next day’s adventure.
Day 1 Expense Todaiji Temple Adm Fee 500yen Kasuga Taisha Shrine Adm Fee 500yen Kiryu Ramen 650yen Takoyaki 500yen IC Card 2000yen Drinks from vending machines 120yen J-Hoppers Osaka 2500yen x 2 nights = 5000yen