Osaka...Or What I Remember Of It...

Osaka! This was definitely on my to visit list here in Japan. Eric had been telling me for a while about some club he went to the weekend before and ow fun it was. I REALLY wasn’t excited to stay up all night partying until the trains start again because I thought I would not make it that long, but since he is quitting soon I thought what the hell. We left Himeji at 4pm on the rapid train. Eric had a scheme to not pay the full fare as it is around 16$ to get to Osaka from Himeji. So we bought the cheapest ticket to get access to the train. 180yen (about 1.50$) After getting lucky and getting to sit comfortably in a seat actually for the 1 hour ride to Osaka along the pretty coastline, we made it to Osaka. Once we were there we were about to hatch our plan to screw the man and his high train fares. Osaka station is VERY crowded and crazy. So let me explain how the tickets work with the train. You put your money into a machine and buy a ticket and pay how much it costs according to how far you travel. So we bought the cheapest available to get off at the next station from Himeji. Osaka obviously would’ve cost more. Then it allows you access to the train and technically you could ride to Tokyo for 180 yen, but to get out of the station you have to put that ticket into a gate which will open the bars which you would walk through. IF you were to put the 180 yen one in it would say you need to pay this much more and stay closed until you paid the missing amount. These tickets are smart!

So..Wewe had to get around that little problem. And to do so....Right when we got off Eric called out to "Find your partner!" By this we each found someone who was putting there ticket into the gate and literally RODE THEIR ASS! I was right on some lady. I acted like I stuck my ticket in and was just following closely behind. The SECOND there is a gap the 2 bars close to keep you out. And they DID close AND start beeping but I just kept walking like I had no clue what was going on. Eric laughed the whole way through as we had used afforded us the money to go out tonight. It was fun but I don’t think I will do it again unless financial reasons necessitate. Im such a rebel I know.

Anyhow, we then went to the Umeda Sky building which is said to be the best example of modern architecture n all of Japan. VERY beautifboltinging and even more BEAUTIFUL views of the sprawling Osaka and its bay! Osaka is the third largest city in all of Japan and I DEF can see that but not see how anything could be bigger.


After that I went to some realty shops with Eric as he inquired about bar space to rent in Osaka. We got shown a few bars and I just went along for the ride not knowing anything of what they were saying. I did eat my share of free candies and green tea in the real estate office while watching the Hanshin Tigers beat some other Japanese baseball team in the playoffs. By the way Japanese baseball is VERY popular and I on every night here!


Anyhow I also went because it was dark now and didn't want to lose him for the night. I stupidly brought my backpack as I thought I would be off on my own buying things and wondering while he looked around. Plus I NEVER go ANYWHERE without my backpack. I keep camera, water, wallet, dictionary and other essentials in there. I LOVE that thing. SO I had to get rid of the bag fro the night. I changed and brushed my teeth in the train station and left it in the lockers there for 600 yen! Bastards got me back for ripping them off earlier. It cost more for my locker than to get to Osaka. We then to the local subway to the Dotonbori District which has a really nice canal running through it which is famous. We ate at Yoshinoya which is one if not the biggest chains in Japan. Apparently they have one in New York too. I had a rice and pork bowl for 330 yen and drank like a gallon of free green tea. It was really good actually.

Then after people watching for about 3 hours, which is very easy to do here. SOOOOO many people. Never have I seen a bigger city in my life! Yo could get run over if yo weren’t paying attention. And a LOT of foreigners from all over he world as it’s a big attraction. The canal is lined with stores and Takoyaki Shops. There’s Armani, Gucci, Apple, Nike, Starbucks and other nice shops too. The Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) are known to the a big part of Osaka but I didn’t see any signs of them and we walked trough the red-light district. I did see several Rolls Royces’, Ferrari, and many other nice cars. It also didn’t seem unsafe at all and I was wondering around solo drunk every few hours alllll night to get food. Maybe because the boys are about 115 soaking wet as it is cool to be really skinny and small and have hair like Bon-Jovi. There outfits are SOOO crazy and they make me laugh! But then again they are probably laughing at me. I wanted to take a pic of one but I think he may not have liked that.


(http://www.osaka.clubpure.com/index.php = there website for those curious)
Anyhow the club opened at 10pm and we were THE first ones there as we wanted our full allotted time to drink and get our moneys worth. IT was 3500yen (about 32$) but it was all you can drink and that really cheap in Japan. A normal can of beer in a bar here is 500yen and a mixed is 700 yen so about 6-7 drinks and you paid your way back. Also they checked ID and had lots of security here in this underground bar. I couldn’t believe they asked for my ID as the drinking age IS technically 20 here but I have never seen anyone enforce it. I then went right for the good stuff. They didn’t have cheap liquor. You could order ANY drink you wanted and they had ALL premium liquors. Only one at a time though. To get a new one you had to turn in your old one. Eric is a male gigolo and I had to be his wingman alll night. He would leave me with a group of non-English speakers whenever he say a more attractive group. Somehow the drunker I got the easier my Japanese flows. I also got several email addresses. Yes, isn’t that funny I don’t have a phone so I got asked for my email address. But computers aren’t popular here as EVERYONE is ALWAYS on there cells checking emails and the web on there. I had an email this morning from some number saying, "Are you remember me at bar. We are friend" I had no clue who this was but said, "Of course I do!" And I wrote down 2 email addresses but have no clue who they are so I tossed them.


I didn’t drank a lot in a month or so I got drunk quick. By midnight I was wondering around speaking half jibberish / half Japanese. There were many Americans and other foreigners there though after a while. By midnight you couldn’t walk around. I saw America girls and thought it would be easier to talk to them. They informed me they were models and basically I should go walk off into the canal. I think girls and guys too get inflated egos over here that they wouldn’t have in the US. Many "nerdy" guys have good looking girls here and would get none in the US. So I talked to some nice Japanese people. It was also weird to see black people. I missed them! I talk to one guy from Nigeria. Many Africans in Japan too! Very nice though but smell. Some serious BO issues were going on that dance floor last night! I attempted to do movements which I consider somewhat dancing with people throughout the night. Earlier in the night y feet hurt sooo bad but I couldn’t feel them after a while. I would leave the club and come back every once in a while since I was rolling solo at this point. I would just see Eric randomly and he would wink and give me a thumbs up. I went out drunk and hungry around 3:30 and found some Takoyaki shops. It is fried balls of octopus. Doesn’t sound good but REALLY was. Maybe Im just saying that because everything does when your drunk and hungry. But I remember going back for seconds. I wondered around with my Takoyaki and member just chatting with drunk locals and other foreigners in the streets and even a homeless man drinking sake on a bench and taking a pic with him. Also, please someone help me understand this. In Japan they have host bars fo ladies too. Women PAY men to talk to them and flirt with them and sometimes do more. I can’t fathom this. Can’t women get anything they want from men without paying them. Isn’t that why we have bars? But these guys walk the streets at night with there long permed, cut, and styled hairs, but are actually friendly.


I stopped drinking at the club at like 4 and drank tea the rest of the night as I was so dehydrated and drunk enough already. I lost Eric and wondered around about 40 min after the club closed at 5. I found im with 2 girls wondering and e was like "where have you been we were really looking for you?" Yea right.


He went to a love hotel. Very common in big cities. You pay by the hour hotel, and they are always full because everyone lives at home with there parents. I left and began my long journey home. I got lost and could find the place I left my bag in. I asked people everywhere. I FINALLY found it after about 45 minutes. Then I got on the train for a lil snooze and would wake up in himeji. I woke up after about an hour and realized I was no where close. I had gotten on the train that stops at EVERY DAMN STOP imaginable! I almost cut my eyes out I was sooo tired and just wanted to go home! So the one hour trip took about 2.5 hours. I slept a total of 2.5 hours today and Im exhausted and feel like Im gonna get sick now. BUT still glad I went and got to see a BIG city. Next weekend I will start marking off places on my to see list. If this is humanely possible, I m gonna hiroshima /miwajima Island, Kyoto, Nara, and Okayama in 4 days. I will be tired but oh well! At least it gives me something to look forward to so I can get through my lame assssss days grading papers!