Osaka Me Up!

So after Kobe, it was off to Osaka for the friday night to celebrate my birthday. Numbers were somewhat depleted after the carnage of Kobe so Mark and I set off for the bright lights of Kansai!

We found a hotel and then met up with our friend Eko- this was a guy that we met in Australia and is one of the coolest Japanese person I know. He was travelling in Australia on his own for 10 months which is kind of unheard of in a country where travelling, 9 times out of 10, involves a coach, a brutal itinerary and a uniform clad guide. So, now he's back in Japan studying at Osaka University.

We met up with a group of other JETS from Tottori Prefecture and a few fellow Guchis and had a brilliant evening. Eko booked an izakaya for us all where we all had the tastiest, cheapest meal ever...sashimi( of which I am now quite a fan), karage (fried chicken), yakisoba (noodle dish) washed down with lots of beer in true Japanese style. We then headed to a bar in the main nightlife area called Shinsaibashi. We took the underground which was mental- i have never seen so many people crammed in, sardine-like, in a carriage at midnight! Being in such close proximity to so many people made me realise why they need the female only carriages! It's easy for hands to go a-wandering!

We went to club called "Pure" which is a cross between Revolution and Spearmint Rhino! Had i been in the UK i probably wouldn't have got through the door but the excitement of being in Osaka and out of the inaka (countryside; read Yamaguchi prefecture) and the cheap nomihoudai (all you can drink) eased the pain and got me through the door of, you guessed it, a hip-hop and r "n" b nightclub. I had to admit defeat at 3 am, although I had thoroughly enjoyed my ghetto style night out!

The following day Mark and I headed to Osaka Castle for a bit of sightseeing. This is supposedly one of the top 3 castles in Japan and from the outside it is stunning. So, in anticipation of stepping back in time where courageuous samurai warriors once fought, we paid our 600 yen entrance fee only to be transported through this building in a state of the art lift and computer aided displays. Basically, about 8 years ago they gutted the inside of this beautiful castle and re-fitted it with a completely modern interior. Suffice to say, walking into what feels like an office, somewhat kills the magic of the place.

After this, we headed to Amerikamura for lunch with everyone from the night before. This is a maze of streets, lined with shops, cafe's and bars. It was then home time- a 2 hour bullet train ride right back to Tokuyama. For me the best thing about Osaka was the general atmoshpere and attitude of the people. People seemed confident, and individual. People spoke really good English and were friendly to us but not in a sycophantic way. I'd forgotten how much I love the buzz of cities and while Tokuyama has become my home I'll definitely be going back to Osaka soon!