This is the first post and will give an idea of the story of what this blog will be. To start, I’ve liked the idea of visit Japan for ages now, but never done anything about it. It has always been at the back of my mind, and with me being terrible with finances, has always stayed there. About a year ago I found some really awesome photos of Tokyo which made me want to go even more, but still, the money thing.
On March 14 this year, about three months ago, the boss from work showed me this email he’d got from Jetstar with cheap fares to Tokyo and Osaka and within ten minutes I had impulse bought my ticket to Osaka. I kinda wanted to go to Tokyo, but it was about $50 dearer, and the spur of the moment purchase meant I didn’t plan it too well. I even booked the wrong dates, and only one week when two would have been better. And perhaps I shouldn’t have booked for the Summer/Wet Season. Again, spur of the moment, impulse shopping…
I’ll be leaving Australia in just over a week to spend a week of non-stop fun in Osaka. The past three months of research have me with an 80 page folder of the ins and outs of Osaka. Bars, shopping, temples, shrines, maps, schedules… pretty much everything I’ll need. I have a day tour to Kyoto booked as well as accommodation and I’ve planned a few other non-bookable (is that a word?) tours.
So the plan is to visit the Umeda Sky Building Floating Garden Observatory, Dotonbori, Yodobashi Camera, Bic Camera, Osaka Castle, Namba Parks, The Rilakkuma Store, Universal Studios, Hep Five, Hep Navio, namBa HIPS and if time/money plays to my advantage, Hiroshima. To see the Atomic Bomb Dome building and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial has been a dream of mine for ages, and to go all that way and miss out would be a total letdown. Just hope Mum and Dad don’t mind me paying rent a little late that week!
What really has me excited is how I finally have been able to save money. If you’d told me three months ago that I’d have spent $500 on plane tickets, $240 on a passport, $100 on a tour, $700 being exchanged for yen and bought a new Olympus Micro 4/3 camera I would have laughed at you.
Anyway, stay tuned for June 19 onward when I’ll be in Osaka. I’ll be taking a million photos and post the best ones on here and Flickr. With two cameras and my phone, I’m sure I can get something good. Wish me luck!
