Osaka, Japan

4 November 2013, Hearton Hotel, Umeda. Osaka, Japan.

First off, how about a short lesson?

How to meet Japanese people.

Meeting the locals can be one of the most rewarding parts of the travel experience, but for most, overcoming language barriers or just striking up that initial conversation can be difficult. So. Here's how to do it in Japan. Assume a puzzled look, stand on a street corner, preferably in the rain, have your partner scowl at you while you consult a map and generally look hopeless.. This also works best if you are a little past middle age and present as totally non-threatening.

We used this ploy most effectively last night, for an hour or more in both the dark and the rain, as we 'pretended' to be unable to find our central Osaka hotel!

In most other countries, following complete strangers up dark alleys late at night could be considered rather foolhardy. But this is Japan, and you just know that the older gent who suggests you follow him or the young student who knows his hotel is near yours, are just doing what Japanese do, being welcoming, courteous and helpful.

This is our third trip to Japan and there is something to be said for repeat visits. We feel perfectly at home. Everything is relaxed and pleasant. You know that the hotel will be clean. You are sure that everybody you deal with in shops, ticket offices, hotels and on the street will be polite and pleasant.

Just off the back of a couple of weeks in China, we are hit by a number of contrasts. On one hand, China is way more crowded and moving about the cities is more stressful than in Japan. The Chinese just don't have the same culture of civility that pervades in Japan. In China's favour however, everything there is brand new! Subways, city buildings and motorways are all built for the future. While Japan is still impressive, it is falling back; things are looking a little worn - always clean, but just a little shabby. What is interesting is that price wise, at least in the cities, things are just about on a par, except for public transport which in extremely cheap in China.

The threat of rain restricted our sightseeing today to indoors attractions. Aquariums are not usually high on our 'to do' list, but the Osaka Aquarium is world-renowned, so we made an exception. Good call! Despite the crowds, it was fantastic. The remainder of the day we were on the usual museum circuit, “doing” the Osaka History Museum and the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living. As with all things Japanese, extremely well presented, both featured detailed models of city life though history. However, a few more English explanations would have helped.

And,oh yes, we did eventually find our hotel. And, (sorry for the squeamish... BUT... it is so-o-o-o good to use Japanese toilets) today, in our hotel lobby, Janita was washed, dried and deodorised, all while sitting on the toilet seat. :)

And.

Just another late night thrill! From our hotel room in Osaka, we programmed our Foxtel Box, that sits under our TV in Brisbane, to record a TV program that starts an hour from now!

It's a wonderful world...