Japan - Day Zero

Plan - Fly Melbourne → Osaka; settle into Dotonbori

 

We flew from Melbourne to Osaka via Singapore. I’d worried about the 90-minute connection, but it was a breeze—we knew our next gate before getting off the plane and reached it with an hour to spare. 

The overnight flights were tiring, with cramped seats and disappointing food, although Singapore Airlines’ service was still very good. At Kansai, we collected our bags and cleared customs and immigration in under 15 minutes—the online arrival process and e-passports seemed to help. For less than 40 bucks, we arranged luggage delivery to the hotel by 4 pm, then headed for the train with just our backpacks.

We bought ICOCA cards and reserved first-class seats on the Nankai train, reaching Namba by 11 am—four hours before check-in.

Den Den Town wasn’t really our thing, and the lively Kuromon market felt touristy. Jennifer was exhausted, so we agreed to revisit the market and slowly walked through Dotonbori,

passing the canal boats, Ferris wheel and running man sign. Thankfully, the hotel let us check in just before 2 pm

 

We collapsed on the beds, and our bags arrived at 4 pm. Jennifer wasn’t feeling well and stayed in bed, happy with a sandwich. I was starving after the plane food, so around 4.30 or 5 pm I headed out into Dotonbori, before the crowds built up

First up was takoyaki—little savoury batter balls with octopus inside, and one of the street foods I’d been keen to try.

Then it was back to the hotel to unpack, get ready for the morning and hit the sack. Despite overlooking the canal from the sixth floor, our room was dead quiet. We finally got a good night’s sleep.