This blogpost covers the day of April 3nd, 2023 while in Osaka.
This day was one of my “shorter” days doing things which took up more time than it should have taken up. I woke up at 8 AM, at nearby at a poorly-reviewed Cafe (partnered with the hotel), and even sought out a Japanese Postal Office to send my stuff back to both Canada & USA, for various both friends. My goodwill had hampered me while in Japan causing me to curse daily, I had to get rid of it. I finally had, spending well over $1000 Canadian.
My goal for the day? Visit Universal Studio to attempt to have fun at Mario theme park.
Related Blog Posting (Japan Travel):
[Day 1] – [Day 2] – [Day 3] – [Day 4] – [Day 5] – [Day 6] – [Day 7] – [Day 8] – [Day 9] – [Day 10] – [Day 11] – [Day 12] – [Day 13]
Started my day off with Azur Lane, Twitter, and even a breakfast at ‘Cafe di Espresso kohikan’, a Cafe I would gradually learn to hate more and more. For today, however, I simply caught up on Twitter and went on my postal shipping duties. The thing is though, the greedier the hotel, the worse it gets. I much preferred Yokohama’s combo of Hotel Unizo & the restaurant attached to it over this awkward Café in Osaka. It’s why I conbini so much. Conbini is my saviour.
[Disclaimer: It wasn’t on this day (it was on another day) where a waitress/server told me to take a seat, so I took a seat. Moments later she came up to me in the manner of “What are you doing?! GO GET YOUR FOOD!” type physical reaction and gesturing. I went “god damn”…. I don’t want to come back here. May be a miscommunication situation, I however do not want to come back here. I never had good vibes with that café, especially with the 3.5/5 stars on Google reviews. It did not sit well with me. Ramen shops and conbini rated 3.5/5 are better than this.]
After relaxing, tweeting, and eating at the café I went on my Japan Postal run, after having returned to my hotel to obtain the gifts. I needed to send my stuff off before it was too late. I needed to get it all out of the way.
I even briefly visited the nearby Conbini for some morning snacks, with certain disappointments from the Cafe partnered with my hotel. I get cranky when people start doing the whole “everything is your fault” nonsense, or certain vibes upsetting me causing me to stress-buy at a Conbini.
[Hotel > Cafe > Hotel > Osaka Station > Snack Park > Nintendo OSAKA > Universal Studio > Osaka Station > Snack Park > Namco Arcade > (After-lewd School Girl) > Hotel]
Near Osaka Station:
On my way to Universal Studio via Osaka Station, not before Osaka’s Snack Park & Nintendo-OSAKA visit beforehand. I noted there being Nintendo Stores in Osaka Station causing me to detour, get lost, even finding my way up to where I desired to go, after having visited Osaka’s Snack Park. A lovely place.
Admiring every bit of Japan’s architecture and scenery. So gorgeous. Heading to Osaka Station for ‘Nintendo OSAKA’ prior to Universal Studios.
A Japanese friend (Ken_Works) Suggested I should visit Osaka’s Snack Park. It was a bit of a struggle locating this ‘Snack Park’, eventually discovering it after having visited every other floor in the building. Even going to either end on the main floor, eventually discovering the escalator downwards. Fun times.
As noted previously, the cafe left me feeling hollow so I had to purchase a hashbrown for some extra morning morale boost. Japan sure knows how to make great food. I may be a stranger, ignorant on many things, yet food speaks to me when it’s well done.
Ken_Works (on Twitter/X) noted I wasn’t in the correct location, even though I was. Made me second guess myself, even clarifying at a later point that I had indeed discovered (safely arriving at) Osaka’s Snack Park. I desired to return, having done so various times in the coming days.
As noted previously, I was lost trying to find my way to the upper floors. I had to go in a loop trying to find where I needed to go. I needed to seek out an elevator.
It’s always my fellow foreigners and other foreigners neighboring Japan always doing the weirder things in Japan. The weird looks, the intrusive photobombing, and just being highly awkward. I love how photogenic and respectful the Japanese are, even if they genuinely desire to curse myself and other folks out for being disruptive. Sorry, but I’m only here for 1 month, I’m trying to log everything, and I had done just that.
I was seeking out small trinkets for both myself and my roommate. Just the small stuff.
Can’t tell if a Japanese female staff member was irritated with me for walking and trying to sort out my Nintendo account to obtain a discount. I was flagged to head from the line to the cash, fiddling with my Nintendo account trying to get the required code for a discount seeing signs of frustration.
Maybe it’s nothing, or maybe it’s something. I’m sorry if I’ve done anything wrong. Then again, it’s just probably nothing, or Japanese girls really are highly frustrated.
I also couldn’t purchase from the Pokemon Store, even if I desired to. The line-up was INSANE! I would have spent my whole day waiting to be cashed out. Nah, I’m out. Off to another Nintendo-themed store!
Constantly noticing how unphotogenic we foreigners are. We simply just stand out in all the wrong ways.
If you admire Nintendo, this is your location.
After much window-shopping and touring the place, even noticing Konami is as useless as they were in 2009, I decided to take a break. Konami only had a sports club, though anything Busou Shinki or anything of that sort was non-existent. Shame.
I wish Animal Crossing: New Horizons was better handled. I dislike how it handles like an MMO more than it does as a singleplayer experience. Two steps forward, one step back. I’d only play it if I had a Japanese girlfriend/wife, yet do not have one so I guess that’s that.
Admiring the Zelda and Mario merchandise I bought for my roommate, some even for myself.
[In hindsight, I should have simply visited Osaka itself, not the Americanized nonsense that is Universal Studio. I become far more cranky I desired to be in Osaka’s Snack Park instead of Universal Studio. Then again, I would have whined and moaned I never desired to to venture to Universal Studio for Mario. It was a losing battle in either perspective.]
Google Maps taking me around a route I shouldn’t be taking. Google Maps failing me more and more in Osaka.
“Sorry, but you have to go around to the front” – Universal Studios
>”FUCK!”< – Me, internally.
“O.K, Thank you for the help” – Me, externally.
Universal Studio was a mistake. The place I was dropped of is for the special ticket holders able to skip lines, get better deals, and simply bribing their way through the theme park. I feel horrible knowing that knowledge. Every knew-found knowledge and experience makes me hate how Universal Studio is big money and a “waiting in line simulator” wasting your time to steal your hard earned money out of your wallets. Screw that. Of course I’m angry and salty. It’s greedy.
Always trying to time my pictures and panorama when there aren’t people in the way. I’m trying to be respectful, while also seeking that balance of “quick-shot” and “decent quality” for blogging purposes. I’m sorry I keep getting Japanese people in my images, yet sometimes it can’t be avoided. I mean, I’m happy their faces are self-censored. Sometimes people walk right in, mainly being arrogant fellow tourists, or Japanese locals irritated by people like me taking quick images while we’re both in haste.
Waited in various lines, eventually being told I can purchase my ticket into the park, though have to come again early tomorrow morning to enter a rally. I wasn’t able to purchase tickets for Super Nintendo World. I had to enter a lottery via the Universal Studio app.
Frustrated, I left.
I Google Map searched various arcades in the area. I desired to play KanColle Arcade. I was angry, I was cranky. I desired my escapism on top of my escapism in Japan. I discovered various arcades located near Osaka Station using a KanColle Arcade locator provided by the Japanese locals. They sent me a link, even suggesting I use Yahoo Maps for Japan. I unknowingly, and stubbornly used Google Maps to get around.
Having arrived at Osaka Station I headed straight to nearby noted arcades. I went up and around, even detouring past various locations thanks to construction. Some areas are simply messed up refusing pedestrian traffic to reach certain areas making things highly awkward.
Frustrated, I ventured to Osaka’s Snack Park again for other menu items.
Now, for real, let’s had to some nearby arcades 🙂
I ventured past a few outlets which were labeled as arcades, yet were nothing close to it. Just simply brands, though this Namco arcade was more along the lines of what I was seeking.
I always desired playing Gundam Arcade, now finally having the opportunity to do so. Wasn’t much playtime, though put in a fair amount of time into it. I enjoyed my time.
I kept an eye out for Busou Shinki Arcade. Nobody bothered to guide me to a Busou Shinki Arcade, hence no spotlighting of such arcades here. Only Gundam and KanColle Arcade.
I spent hours here, no joke. I was playing both KanColle Arcade and Azur Lane (mobile) at the same time. People who eavesdropped would have noted I was playing both games.
Roughly $100 Canadian down, I felt satisfied and left. I decided to speed-walk back to the hotel feeling quicker than taking a metro, or anything of the sort. It felt slightly awkward with how semi-ghetto the area felt, I was however left to my own doing. I can’t word it correctly.
I basically played KanColle Arcade till 9 PM. Had to focus on Mario Theme park for the next day.
Constantly heard ambulances roaming around. It drove both quickly and quietly in patterns. I was worried we would meet at the intersection I was crossing. Thankfully, it hadn’t done so.
While speed-walking my way back to the hotel I came across an interesting interaction, or at least the end of it.
I came across an older businessman having allegedly finished their lewd sexy business with a girl wearing a Japanese school uniform. She thanked him while parting ways, even leaving down the road I was going down to reach my hotel. The older businessman went back the way he came (to the left of us). She briefly went down the same road I went down, though in my haste, I overtook her (passing her) while rushing back to my hotel (one-track mind). We crossed the street at different points and times. I was walking all over the place at one point (crossing street and crossing back) trying to make sense as to where Google Maps was taking me.
The thought in my mind being – “Well, this must be the lewd district of Osaka where they do the dirty sexy stuff. I see.” – while being heavily lost in thought. Just walking and thinking about various stuff.
I was potentially hastily waltzing through a red-light district without knowing it, or maybe not. Maybe Osaka works hard and plays hard (as the rest of Japan) so you tend to see such fairly often. It is what it is, people have their pleasures. I was simply lost in thought, and am constantly pondering about them (and others) doing implied lewd acts in a casual manner, if still in private.
[Disclaimer: I’m not talking ill, nor being negative. I’m just making note if it in slight-naïve confusion, curious observation, and in the “lost-in-thought” manner. It’s simply Japan being Japan while I’m still traveling around Japan as a Canadian tourist making note of various things.]
For the rest of the I would process Universal Studios thoughts, Azur Lane & KanColle, and even the lewd school girl & business guy moment. Thinking how I walked past the two after they done their sexual acts. The rest of the night was simply drinking beer, spacing out. Had the TV on as background noise while Tweeting, making videos, and having Tweets note how Japanese KanColle folks collect their KanColle cards. I’m obviously a new gamer while others had divisions in their card box collections. Separations dividing between card rarity, types, and classes.
Osaka is genuinely a nice place, I however may have visited the wrong area, or visited the wrong places. An experience is an experience, and it makes you more aware, appreciative, and knowledgeable about it. I’m not mad at anything other than the Universal Studio and Café situation. Everything else was great.
Onto the next day!