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Writer's pictureKarli Messer

Osaka Part 1

With disaster nearly averted at Tokyo station, I started off for Osaka to visit friends, go to Costco, and celebrate summer with fireworks!


This morning I woke up at 5 AM ready to meet my friends from UBC in Osaka. I got packed and started toward the station with plenty of extra time to navigate Tokyo station and board the Shinkansen. Unfortunately, there was an issue with my QR code! I thought I was using the QR code wrong so I asked the ticketing agent. He pointed me to the self serve register where I tried to access the tickets, again with no luck. I bounced around asking for instructions or help until there were only 10 minutes left until the Shinkansen left! Finally, a ticketing agent realized that my QR code was defective and gave me a special pass through the ticket turnstile. I made it on the train with only a few minutes to spare!


This is the view from my seat. I couldn't see Mt. Fuji this time either :(


Micchan picked me up at the station. Then we met Sawa and Hinako at the station near Sawa's house and drove home. Here's a few pictures of Rai kun (Sawa's dog), somen and tempura lunch and traditional matcha tea time!


After lunch we visited Costco, aka kosutoko, for a Costco party that evening. Japanese Costco is pretty much the same, but there's sushi platters instead of roast chicken! PS. the "Hokkaido Soft Serve" was the best ice cream I've ever had. 1000 times better than North American Costco!


Does this look familiar? It's the sushi preparation line at Costco!


After dinner, we celebrated the start of summer with fireworks called hanabi that night.


Firework finale!


Also, I saw my first Japanese cockroach running around outside. It's a lot smaller and faster than the ones that lived in Florida. I was lighting my firework, when I felt something race across my neck. It scared me so much I ripped off my necklace and screamed! We got out the cockroach spray to fend it off (even though we were outside haha).


Eventually, Micchan, Sawa and I went in the bath one by one. We all stayed in one of the tatami rooms and fell right asleep after some late night "girls talk" in our futons! Thank you for an amazing first night in Osaka!

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