Our virgin step outside Kansai Airport was surprisingly cold! Wind blowing from all directions, temperature was around 4 degrees but i loved the cold feeling!
It rained twice only for the 11 days we were there, that was fortunate and it snowed in kyoto and skiing at mt rokko, and hailed ice balls when we were in Universal Studios. Extremely cold.
Without a glove it felt like you put your hand inside the freezer for very long and mine was numb sometimes.
The Stay
We stayed at a backpackers hostel, J-Hoppers, which received many good reviews on internet and it's better than what i've expected! The staffs were forever so helpful and friendly (they speak english).
Our room was a cosy basic 8 bed dorm, with lockers and racks and we got to know so many people coz we were staying there for quite some time. Germans.. australians... americans... french... japanese... and one SMU exchange student! Everyone was so friendly and ready to make friends!
The best thing about the hostel: the toilets and showering room. The toilet bowl is in a room by itself, with the best invention in winter: seat warmers!!! So warm especially after a cold day outside to just sit on the toilet, so wen nuan, and there's the water jet to wash ur butt for both guys and girls. Haha. I can just sit there forever. After you flushed, the tap on top of the toilet bowl automatically activates and you can wash your hands and the water will be used to fill the toilet bowl again. Now that's smart reusing of water!
The individual showering room is so clean and neat! Step in, lock the room door, put your stuff on the basket provided and step into the showering unit, which is like a compartment. I LOVED the showering unit coz i always turn the heater to the max and fill the unit with steam and a steam bath is ready! Ultimate shiokness during winter and after a tiring day outside.
Both are even cleaner and neater than my house toilet la! I think i'm going to bring the showering unit and the showering room concept into my future home. haha.
The People
They know basic english and most restaurants have english menus and luckily we know some basic japanese too! It's quite easy to communicate with them actually.
From what i observed, Japanese seemed to be very private and conservative and they are used to being in solitude. For example most restaurants have single tables and seats and they usually dine alone, but thats probably when they'r really busy working class.
Once, on the train, the train conductor was going to do his rounds so after he locked the conductor's door he did a small bow, then he walked to the other end of the cabin, faced us and bowed and did the same when he came back. This is sort of interesting coz nobody really noticed him or maybe it's the norm for him but it shows that they respect and take pride in their work or whatever they do. One of the reasons they have superb service and professionalism.
Japanese fashion is very distinct and everyone really take care of their looks. They really make an effort to look good, even guys! which i think its a kind of respect to others and to yourself. Its really easy to differentiate a female foreigner from a Japanese girl:
1. Makeup, extended eye lashes, fancy hair, nice coat, boots, fat thighs(oops).
If a girl has none of the above, she's a foreigner.
Even most jap males groom their eyebrows! I couldn't get used to it initially but after seeing so many examples it kinda made their features neater. And some even put on make-up!! Like ew.
The Shopping
Japan's shopping is based on shopping streets, one sheltered street both sides filled with shops can stretch for an awesome few km but some shops are repeating so theres no need to walk the entire street. Shinsaibashi is the main shopping street in Osaka.
Clothes are seasonal, so a lot of winter clothes when we'r there. Advice is to try on the clothes you wanna get coz Japanese cut is so different from our normal cuttings. Shoulder and chest length are shorter, sleeves are longer. oh and a lot of boots on sale.
Their service line is superb, equivalent to taiwan. Salespeople forever smiley, polite and helpful, like Wego, one of our frequent stores, they kept announcing in japanese "welcome to wego! 10% sale! come and check it out! thank you for shopping!" and stuff like that, until a point i felt a bit irritated.
well, at least its a lot better than the local service line.
The Food
Japan's standard of living is very high, 3rd in the whole world.
Train rides costs at least $2, can go up to $25 for further places. Meals costs at least $10 but its really quality food! The ramen is the best. This little unnoticable ramen shop at the corner near our hostel sells orgasmic ramen, the best i've eaten. It's ramen at its best, the noodles are so smooth and chewy, the soup tastes like pork bones boiled inside for thousand years, and the tamago (egg) has half cooked RED yolk. Orgasm times million times plus a journey to heaven.
Although most food are a little salty, it was okay once the tongue got used to it.
All the bakeries are nice, we haven't eaten anything that is not nice. Desserts are mmmmmmmmph, especially Mille crepe from Doutor (a cafe chain). It's layers of crepe with fresh cream inside, once you bite, you can feel the different layers of crepe and cream combined. It available in singapore already actually, the original's from japan.
What i loved most
They package everything really beautifully (including themselves) but its adds on to the price-tag.
The complicated train routes and nice music when the train is passing by, coming and leaving.
The shop which sells wholely GUNDAMS.
Vending machines with hot drinks that you can hold when your hand is cold. haha.
Seat and leg warmers in trains and toilets, absolutely comforting in winter.
Most importantly, the main attraction in Osaka: FOOD!
Takoyaki, ramen, okonomiyaki, Mille crepe, sushi.. etc.
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