On the train to Osaka
Our Shinkansen passes went into effect as we traveled from Tokyo to Osaka, which would serve as our base of operations for the next few days. The Shinkansen is amazing, a super-fast train that reaches speeds of 170MPH+ and runs on-time as a near guarantee. The cars are comfortable and the stations are extremely convenient with a wide range of restaurants to grab lunch before boarding.
There are three levels of Shinkansen: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama. Nozomi is the most express and Kodama the least. Nozomi is not available with our rail passes, so we learned the hard way that Hikari is the way to go. The Kodama is essentially a regional train and takes SIGNIFICANTLY more time than a Hikari train running the same route. Sadly, we learned this fact after two trips on the Kodama and while we didn’t lose an insane amount of time, we did spend a bit more of our trip on a train than we’d expected to.
We did get to see Mt. Fuji at a distance though and it’s amazing in person. We didn’t plan a trip up the mountain this time around, but when I come back to Japan I’ll likely try to make it up.
Shin-Osaka desu...
Our first night in Osaka was pretty uneventful. We settled into our hotel and decided to try to find some dinner. This proved to be challenging, as the area we were staying in seemed to have little to offer that was easily navigable. We ended up in a restaurant in the hotel which was French themed, and moderately overpriced for what we were getting. I had a rice-omelette, yes, you heard it right, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. It was actually pretty good and had lobster and scallops on top. Overall, quite tasty. Then we went up to the 21st floor which offered a restaurant with a view of the city. The bartender was pretty friendly, and we ended up in the bar each night in Osaka for a nightcap. Each night, without fail, he would ask if we were staying in the hotel since they offered a 10% discount to guests. Each night we again wondered what other two tall, white guys with Red Sox caps were coming in here throwing this guy off as to our identities.
The last thing worth mention in our hotel was the all-in-one console for power, alarm clock, and radio in our room. This thing was straight out of a time-capsule bomb shelter and truly reflects the mood this quaint but luxurious establishment had to offer.
There are three levels of Shinkansen: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama. Nozomi is the most express and Kodama the least. Nozomi is not available with our rail passes, so we learned the hard way that Hikari is the way to go. The Kodama is essentially a regional train and takes SIGNIFICANTLY more time than a Hikari train running the same route. Sadly, we learned this fact after two trips on the Kodama and while we didn’t lose an insane amount of time, we did spend a bit more of our trip on a train than we’d expected to.
We did get to see Mt. Fuji at a distance though and it’s amazing in person. We didn’t plan a trip up the mountain this time around, but when I come back to Japan I’ll likely try to make it up.
Shin-Osaka desu...
Our first night in Osaka was pretty uneventful. We settled into our hotel and decided to try to find some dinner. This proved to be challenging, as the area we were staying in seemed to have little to offer that was easily navigable. We ended up in a restaurant in the hotel which was French themed, and moderately overpriced for what we were getting. I had a rice-omelette, yes, you heard it right, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. It was actually pretty good and had lobster and scallops on top. Overall, quite tasty. Then we went up to the 21st floor which offered a restaurant with a view of the city. The bartender was pretty friendly, and we ended up in the bar each night in Osaka for a nightcap. Each night, without fail, he would ask if we were staying in the hotel since they offered a 10% discount to guests. Each night we again wondered what other two tall, white guys with Red Sox caps were coming in here throwing this guy off as to our identities.
The last thing worth mention in our hotel was the all-in-one console for power, alarm clock, and radio in our room. This thing was straight out of a time-capsule bomb shelter and truly reflects the mood this quaint but luxurious establishment had to offer.
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