I touched down at Kansai International Air terminal yesterday…. the word Kansai International Air Terminal is very very familiar to me. I did a research on it last time for a project in Uni and it’s designed by a very famous Architect – Renzo Piano . And now…. I can’t believe that I was stepping on this man-made island !!

Well, Japan… another very different place. I guess my experience really started at the airport…going through customs, had my backpack searched…. but it was all good, they were friendly and I guess they were just doing their job.

I took airport limousine to Osaka city center. Osaka is a water metropolis. Not only because of its proximity to the sea, but also because of the numerous rivers and canals that crisscross it. It was over the water that most commerce flowed to, through and from Osaka. On the way to the city, I saw lots of sailing yatchs, industrial area, beaches…. and flamingo ~~

My next big encounter was the subway. What can I say…. they don’t have any English translation at all!! They have lots of routes, you got to spend some time to really look at the map. If you intend to travel to Japan, make sure you get a 7 day or 14 day rail pass. Travel without it is grosly overpriced and much more if you want to catch the Shinkansen (bullet train) anywhere else.

A few other strange things about Japan. Its not a very friendly place to visit if you are looking for friendly, hospitible locals. Not many people speaks english here, and they always round of some japanese that I have no hope of understand. A Japanese phrasebook would come in real handy. Japanese are very kind and will try to help you as much as they can if you ask them. However, you will always seem to get strange looks from the locals, I guess I’m ‘gaijin’ (foreigner)…..

So far everything has gone extremely well. The weather have been magnificent… sunny and warm during the day with a bit cooler evenings.

This is my guest house Sumo Backpackers , located in Nakatsu in the heart of Osaka. It’s very central and only a minute walk from subway Midosuji line at Nakatsu station and a 15 minutes walk from the JR Osaka station. When you arrive at Nakatsu station exit 2, you can call them and they will go and pick you up.

If you prefer to find yourself, simply turn right at Exit 2 at Nakatsu station, walk two alley ways over and turn right at the 2nd alley and its on your left about 40 feet down.

The owner, Okuda-san is very friendly and nice. She was extremely kind and helpful which make my entire stay memorable. People staying here were really a great crowd and you will sure make some good friends here!!

Sumo is converted from a traditional Japanese house with very limited space. Common area like bathroom, wc, living room, library and internet access are at the downstair (smoking allowed). The shower doesn’t lock, but other mates seems to respect closed door. They provide free internet access, tv and DVD access. They have lots of magazines, books, Japanese comics, travel guides…etc.

Message written by many backpackers over the years!

Steep stairs lead to the upper floor where the 10 bunk beds are. Its a very small house, so they are limited to 10 capacity. At the entrance of 2nd floor, there were one big communal sleeping area with really loud metal lockers in the middle, bathroom at the 2nd floor did not have a working sink and a bit dirty. That’s why everyone prefer using the bathroom downstair. The kitchen was at the 2nd floor but no one is using it or otherwise, the cokking smells would go directly into the bunks.

Check-in and office hours: 16:00 – 22:00
It is advice not to choose your arrival time before 16:00 and after 22:00.
Check out: 8:00- 12:00 noon

All in all, I would recommend to single travellers who needs a somewhat central base to all the signts in Osaka. Bring some cash, as they do not accept credit cards. You can exchange your currency at Kansai International Airport. Price from around USD25 and may vary from season.

Will update soon… c-ya!

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