Japan’s favourite PJs, the yukata.

The moment I entered my hotel room, I couldn’t help but notice how everything was built for short people. The height of the bed barely reached my knee, the chair was considerably lower than average, the mirror couldn’t be used without bending my knees and so on. I believe it has something to do with the age of my hotel, as the Japanese population nowadays is considerably taller.

My hotel room.

The hotel was nothing to shout about, it’s got a funny smell to it, as if the room had been bleached for hundreds of times. However, I was very comfortable as anything beyond air conditioning and hot water shower is considered luxury to me.

After a quick nap, I ventured out for lunch. I was determined to eat authentic Japanese food. No Chinatown bullshit and all that. After walking for a bit, finally stumbled onto this restaurant that specialises in katsudon. I had the house special at 500 yen and I have to say it’s the best money I’d spent in Japan. The deep fried pork chop was succulent on the inside and crispy on the outside. Soaked in miso gravy and topped with a freshly cracked egg, it was served with a bowl of rice. The looks of katsudon left nothing to be desired but the dish really titillated my tastebuds. I devoured every single grain of rice with it.

Katsudon. Deep fried pork chop soaked in miso sauce with egg. OMG I’m missing it already!

After lunch, it was time for a bit of shopping. I decided to go to Namba, the shopping and entertainment district of Osaka. It’s 30 minutes walking distance from my hotel but I thought taking the train would be way more fun. I went to Uehonmachi Station, which was just right smacked next to my hotel.

Stepping into a train station in Japan was quite a nerve racking experience. Firstly, there was little information in english. Using a small and skanky photostated map (with bad english) courtesy of the hotel, I managed to make out which station to go. Secondly, the names of the stations are just too long. I suggest that you jot down the exact name of the station you’re going to and coming back if you’re not proficient in Japanese. Thirdly, there were so many people! They are well-behaved though. I suppose you could call it controlled chaos, but it’s quite a scary sight for a laidback Malaysian like me.

Train ticketing machine.

The ticketing machine has english labels so it’s fairly easy to use. The cost of ticket from Uehonmachi to Namba is 150 yen.

Uehommachi Station.

Waiting for the train….

Inside the train.

Namba Stati