Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Osaka Trip
Before writing this post, I looked through my previous post to see what I had wrote about my first Japan trip in October 2008. Was quite embarrassed when I saw the title : The Japan Trip - Part 1. Because obviously I had intended to write a Part 2. But I never did.. and now here I am, already back home from my second Japan Trip ^^;; Anyway.When I got back from my first Japan Trip, I thought it would took me much longer to come back there. So it was such a blessing for me that I get to chaperon a family of four - the winners from my brand's activation - to Japan, less than two years later. It was supposed to be a 7 day trip, but because I had to attend a meeting first, I flew a bit later and caught up with them in Osaka, and spent 3 days there. Like I mentioned in the Part 1 post, I'm crazy about Japan. Everything about Japan excites me, hence you can imagine how actually being there got me excited even more! I could just walk around by myself, and still be happy just by enjoying the atmosphere and hearing people talking in Japanese! Made me feel like I was in scenes of those J-doramas I've watched. Osaka was great. I get to visit Universal Studios Japan (USJ) for the very first time, and it was awesome! I'm always amazed by how detailed theme parks abroad are, and USJ was not an exception. Of course, as a Disney freak, I love Disneyland/DisneySea more, but still.. being in USJ also made me feel like I was in a different world, far far away from reality. Some tips about Universal Studios Japan
1. If you're staying in a hotel near USJ, and you want to go there straight from KIX (Kansai International Airport), they have a shuttle bus going there every 30mins or so (I forgot the exact timing). They have English versions of the signage, so it should be easy to spot. It costs JPY 1,500 and you have to buy the ticket from a vending machine near there. Not to worry, they have people standing by near the machines to help confused tourists. 2. About the rides. If you only have time for just 3 rides, then my suggestion would be Spiderman - The Ride (indoor roller coaster with 4D experience), Hollywood Dream - The Ride (said to be world's smoothest roller coaster, with a bit of "flying" sensation), and Jurassic Park - The Ride (most appropriate description would be a FAR COOLER version of Niagara-gara). 3. If you're not into queuing, go for Single Rider where available. It means that you'll be filling up for empty seats, hence you will not be side by side with your companion(s) during the ride. But it is still possible that you'll be in the same cart. Anyway, for certain rides, it's worth sacrificing togetherness over saving a loo-oot of time queuing. True Story. 4. After spending the day at the theme park, if you still want to hang around the area, go to the Universal City Walk, located just next to USJ. They have a Takoyaki Museum there. Well it's not exactly a museum, but it's like a place where they put a whole lot of Takoyaki hawkers (I don't think this is the right word, but you know what I mean) together. Get your fix of Takoyaki here! I also had fun strolling around Shinshaibashi area (thank you @nefretiriii for the suggestion), and went all the way to Nanba and Doutonbori. There are lots of shops and cafes along the way, and it was fun just getting in and out of them. I had lunch at this place called Pastel (a pasta and cake place) at Shinshaibashi Suji, and I loved it! Both the pasta (I had spaghetti in lobster cream sauce) and the cheesecake were perfect! All in all, it was another great trip to Japan.
And here's wishing I would have the chance to go back there again, hopefully soon enough :)
1. If you're staying in a hotel near USJ, and you want to go there straight from KIX (Kansai International Airport), they have a shuttle bus going there every 30mins or so (I forgot the exact timing). They have English versions of the signage, so it should be easy to spot. It costs JPY 1,500 and you have to buy the ticket from a vending machine near there. Not to worry, they have people standing by near the machines to help confused tourists. 2. About the rides. If you only have time for just 3 rides, then my suggestion would be Spiderman - The Ride (indoor roller coaster with 4D experience), Hollywood Dream - The Ride (said to be world's smoothest roller coaster, with a bit of "flying" sensation), and Jurassic Park - The Ride (most appropriate description would be a FAR COOLER version of Niagara-gara). 3. If you're not into queuing, go for Single Rider where available. It means that you'll be filling up for empty seats, hence you will not be side by side with your companion(s) during the ride. But it is still possible that you'll be in the same cart. Anyway, for certain rides, it's worth sacrificing togetherness over saving a loo-oot of time queuing. True Story. 4. After spending the day at the theme park, if you still want to hang around the area, go to the Universal City Walk, located just next to USJ. They have a Takoyaki Museum there. Well it's not exactly a museum, but it's like a place where they put a whole lot of Takoyaki hawkers (I don't think this is the right word, but you know what I mean) together. Get your fix of Takoyaki here! I also had fun strolling around Shinshaibashi area (thank you @nefretiriii for the suggestion), and went all the way to Nanba and Doutonbori. There are lots of shops and cafes along the way, and it was fun just getting in and out of them. I had lunch at this place called Pastel (a pasta and cake place) at Shinshaibashi Suji, and I loved it! Both the pasta (I had spaghetti in lobster cream sauce) and the cheesecake were perfect! All in all, it was another great trip to Japan.
And here's wishing I would have the chance to go back there again, hopefully soon enough :)
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