Golden Week: Osaka To Tokyo
After a whirlwind few days, it was already time to say goodbye to Osaka. We gathered up our things, repacked our bags, and began to lug them to the train station. Our train to Tokyo wouldn’t be for a few hours yet, so we hunted around for a locker to store our bags in. We weren’t able to find any lockers, but we did find a luggage service to hang onto them for us, though it was a bit more expensive.
Freed from our bags, and with some time to kill, we set out to explore Osaka. Even though I’ve now stayed in Osaka for around 6 days total, I’ve still seen very little of the city. The first place we were going was brand new to me, Shin Sekai or "New World". There, we would see the Tsūtenkaku tower, modeled after the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Once we got off the train, we found a bustling area, filled with restaurants, and shops. Apparently, this southern part of this area was modeled after Coney Island, and the northern part after Paris. I didn’t know this at the time, but this area certainly felt distinct from what I knew of the rest of Osaka. It made for a unique experience, and I was glad that I got to see somewhere new in Osaka.
The Tsūtenkaku tower was definitely the center piece, it was cool to see in person, and it even had a slide wrapping around the tower. We hadn’t planned to go up the tower, and with the long line it seemed like we would have to admire it from the outside, which was fine with me. After taking in the area, we set off to one of the areas that I did know, Dōtonbori, one of the main tourist and nightlife spots in Osaka.
Shin Sekai was a little ways from Dōtonbori, but it put us right by the only other area I knew in Osaka, Denden town. This fun little area was filled with electronic, game, and anime stores, right up my alley. I doubted I would ever make it to Akihabara with my family, since it didn’t really line up with their interests, but Denden town would give them a little glimpse into that world.
As we strolled through Denden town it brought back memories from my New Year’s trip, and I was surprised how quickly somewhere can become nostalgic. I had been here only 4 months earlier, but it felt like ages. My time here has been going by so fast, but at the same time it feels like ages ago since my experiences here. Maybe that’s part of adapting to a new culture and a new place, there are so many changes to adjust to, those initial experiences quickly begin to feel distant.
Once we finally left Denden town behind, we were greeted by the large crowds surrounding Dōtonbori. We walked through endless rows of shops, and got distracted by the various things on offer, and all the different types of people going about their lives. It was also about time to eat, we were all about ready for a break, and lunch was a growing priority. We saw signs for an underground mall, and figured a food court would probably be our best bet.
When we looked at the different restaurants, there it was, Mos Burger. Knowing it was a safe option, we headed off to Mos Burger to grab some lunch. I’d never had Mos Burger before my family came to visit, but it’s fun having a restaurant that I so closely now associate with their visit. If I ever really begin to miss them, maybe I can go have a burger and reminisce about this trip.
By the time we wrapped up lunch, it was already time to head back to the train station. I felt bad I didn’t get to show them the river that ran through Dontonbori, which feels like the iconic location here in Osaka. But the train waits for no one, and I figured my family probably wouldn’t even know what they were missing. We found the closest train station, and headed back to grab our luggage. It had only been a few days, but it was time to bid farewell to Osaka.
We grabbed our luggage, made our way to the platform, and boarded the shinkansen for the final time on this trip. While we hadn’t actually spent much time in Osaka, today was really the only day we explored the city, it was still bittersweet to leave. I always enjoy any time I get to spend here in Osaka, it just feels more relaxed than Tokyo, and I like the energy around the city. At least I can come back again if I’d like, but I hope my family enjoyed their time here, even if a lot of it was spent exploring areas around Osaka rather than the city itself.
In Tokyo, we would be staying in Ikebukuro, an area I’d only been to once before. I’d heard Ikebukuro framed as “girl’s Akihabara”, which seems somewhat true, since there’s plenty of shopping, arcades, and stores for anime fans. It was close to all the major areas of Tokyo I wanted to show off to my parents, but not super crowded, I think it was a great choice for an area to stay.
Once we arrived at Tokyo station, we transferred trains and headed to our Airbnb in Ikebukuro. It was about a 15 minute walk from the station, which wasn’t too bad. It took us a bit to find out which house we were staying at, but once we did we got in without any troubles. We each set off to find our rooms and begin to unpack a little.
This would be our new base of operations for the next few days, so we spent some time settling in and getting comfortable. We ran over to the grocery and convenience store to stock up on some essentials for the next few days. It was a transitional day, but those are tiring in their own right, so we didn’t do much after we arrived in Ikebukuro. In fact, after so many busy days since they landed, it felt like the fatigue was starting to catch up with all of us.
It didn’t take long for people to start heading to bed. After walking and traveling all day, combined with our non-stop adventures the past few days, we were all ready for some R&R. Tomorrow, for once, was going to be one without much of a plan. We would still explore, take in some sights, but this time, that could wait until the afternoon. Our time in Tokyo was just beginning, but we would begin that time with a well deserved rest day.
