With a 930am flight to Tokyo our Sunday morning began bright and early. A different experience flying during the day for us. We both enjoyed the inflight service and 2 or 3 movies saw the day pass uneventfully. Our approach to Narita airport was pretty rough passing through cloud and turbulence that made some of our fellow passengers a little edgy. After easily clearing immigration and customs we made our way to the domestic terminal for our onward flight to Osaka. We've never seen an airport food court quite like the one in terminal 3 at Narita. All manner of Japanese food (who'd have thought?) available and after figuring out how and what to order we shared a serve of udon noodles and tempura seafood and veg. Not everyone is suited to, and comfortable with, using chopsticks (see pic)...just saying. Replete, we boarded Jetstar Japan's 840pm flight heading through more bumpy skies to Osaka. Our Kansai Airport hotel was a most welcome sight, as was a comfy bed and a hot shower.
Monday morning dawned. Before meeting our tour group (and, of course, our Besties), on their arrival from Oz via Tokyo, there was a breakfast buffet to be consumed. Always a most interesting experience in another country. The highlight (for one of us) was the breakfast soft serve ice cream...strawberry, his favourite kind! Gathering our belongings from our room we crossed back to Kansai airport terminal as planned. When we were all together our bus brought us to our hotel in central Osaka. Still too early to check in we determined to see the city. After enjoying a half decent coffee and sharing a pastry filled with sweet beans our steps took us towards Osaka train station. A massive building and mush more than just a train station. Home to international labels and one of Japan's department stores, Daimaru, it was a very busy destination. Our ultimate destination was the Umeda sky building. Although not the tallest building in Osaka it is one of the most unique. With two 40 storey towers connected at the two uppermost stories, with bridges and an escalator crossing the wide atrium-like space in the centre. A little disconcerting as you travel those escalators but the views from the 39th floor observatory, and the open air upper deck, of the sprawling city below, and as far as the eye could see, were spectacular.
The basement level of the building houses restaurants that replicates a town of the early Showa Period (1912-1945). We ventured on in to one such cosy little place and savoured the flavours of okonomiyaki, yakisoba and other deliciousness. By the time we'd eaten our fill and wandered back through shops, across the train line (4 stories up) it was almost time for us to be able to check in to our hotel. A little rest and a little freshening up and it was time to satisfy our bellies again! We let Mr Google guide us a few streets away where we shared some more delicious food, some Japanese beer, a little sake, Matcha tea and miso.
It's been a long day and we're ready for a good night's sleep, ready for another busy day tomorrow when our tour officially begins.
