1 November 2017
Lost in expansion
The Glico man and surrounding neon of Osaka
Let me translate that for you, I managed to get lost twice in central Osaka. I have been here twice before and generally know where stuff is, but it is massive, and on two occasions I was walking in the opposite direction to what I thought and had to check GPS to find my way.
I then needed to use the GPS to find my way back to my hotel again.
Somehow, I think Osaka has expanded since I was last here, including the main Dotonbori street with all the restaurants which seems to go further, have brighter lights and have more people.
Around the Namba area there seems to be a lot more bigger stores, but also a more extensive underground network, and I accidentally stumbled upon the awesome Admski nerd products store near where I found dinner.
It was full of vintage toys, instruments, audio gear, toy cars, I spent an hour looking at stuff in here. They even have fan drawn signed artwork of Japanese bands, some of which were terrible.
There are a huge number of tourists around too, I think lots of them are from South America, apparently when you travel from those countries its important you wear the Brazilian, Argentinian or Chilean flag as a shirt at all times.
Unfortunately, the Dormy Inn hotel I am staying at has old fashioned keys on a giant keyring, and they insist you return it to them every time you leave.
So when I came back this evening, I had to line up for the key to my room, which is pointless and stupid. Of course she says, passport please, which is in my room. So now I am getting a lecture for not carrying my passport.
I showed her photos of my passport on my phone and she handed over the key, but then she spoke to me in Japanese about the police. Cool. I have read a few stories of foreigners being jailed for a week for not carrying their passport, I can ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE YOU that if I had of been carrying my passport on the day I got saturated that it would have been ruined beyond repair.
Theres a possibility I might get saturated, covered in mud, set on fire or have my passport chewed on by a bear any day of the week!
What then Japan, WHAT THEN?
I dont think tonights photos are great, they are only the standard set of Osaka photos, I must do better!
Glico man. And what is Glico? Nobody knows. When you type it into google, all the hits are for the neon sign in this photo, however they make Pocky! I should have known that.
People on a boat enjoying the view.
Shinsai Bashi, and lots of people.
Some more Glico man from the rivers edge.
Dotonbori, with added lighting. Those are bags of shopping rather then bags of rubbish. Future rubbish. Most things people buy are useless rubbish.
I was starving so I stopped off for some Fugu, fresh from Shimonoseki. Deadly poison, deadly poison, deadly poison... tasty fish.
I thought if I was going to die of fugu poisoning then I had better see the 6 boobed woman before I die. I waited in line but they never opened.
VEGETARIAN curry. And its lots and lots of colorful delicious vegetables. Why dont we get more Okra in Australia?
This is the window display cabinet of the Admski nerd goods store. Plain blank cassette tapes. Some of them are $70 AUD each! Glorious analog wow and flutter.
I forgot that running perpendicular to the above ground Shinsai Bashi covered streets that there are mile long underground malls either end. I dont understand how they need so many shops and restaurants, but they are all full, on a Wednesday.
We had the cock lever early, so why not Cyunt 2 by Katy 3? Katy 1 and 2 died testing Cyunt 1, an earlier version before they perfected the formula.
One of the quieter streets running off the busy streets.
It is actually the 300th anniversary of Shinsai Bashi shopping street. Here it is in 1909, quite busy back then too.
And this is the very colorful corner my hotel is on. There are disaffected youths hanging about. I joined them and they all left because they knew I was way tougher than any of them.
Or maybe because a nerdy white grandpa had turned up and dorked out their hangout spot? I am fine with either version, cause I am the winner.
Pleased with my achievements I headed to the family mart and bought a warm cocoa to enjoy on the steps.