Well I was wrong about the Namba-Walk, that closed at midnight too, so I had to walk the streets of Osaka at 1am without knowing where I was going. It was kind of scary (especially after hearing so many ambulance sirens on previous nights) but the only people I met were those who offered me help, which just goes to show how safe Japan really is. When I finally found the hotel I watched Sex and the City in Japanese, which was actually more scary. Anyway, onto the...

Konnichiwa! I have been in Osaka for three days now, first impressions were that the city is quite different from Tokyo and Kyoto, and sure enough one evening walk down Dotombori street shows you clearly that that Osaka has its own charm. It is a WEIRD, AMAZING place with some frankly rather dodgy areas. I have decided to base myself here for my remaining time in Japan and take day trips out to other places. When we first arrived it was swelteringly hot, I ...