Because nothing can be straightforward in my travels, I had quite the journey in to Osaka. As mentioned in the previous post (Kumano Kodo), I had to get from the rural peninsula where we were camped into the metropolis of Osaka so that I could get my second rabies shot (preventative shots because of my upcoming visit to rural Nepal). I had the route all planned the night before. I woke up at 7am to take the bus which would be the first of 3 legs of travel. I show up to the bus stop, and hop on the bus which arrives. I start to notice that this bus doesn't seem to be going in the right direction. I took the wrong bus. Japan has an incredible public transportation, and while they it does extend to rural areas, the frequency of busses goes wayyy down, the next bus is not until the afternoon which is way too late. After taking the bus to another town, I get off to calm down and then plan a new route. Google maps comes up with a route that could still get me into Osaka in time. It starts with a 4 hour bus ride through the mountains and then 3 separate train rides each with very tight connections. Luckily each leg of the trip went off without a hitch despite my anxiety off missing trains.


In total it was 1 bus and 3 trains into Osaka. Then I had to go to their crowded train station to pick up the luggage I had stored in a locker. Then another 2 trains which got me to the travel clinic exactly at my appointment time (latest appointment they had). So here I am walking into this pristine travel clinic after 2 days of hard backpacking AND 8 hours of travel, lugging my backpack around. I still have my dirty hiking boots on and equipment hanging off of my bag. They asked me for my vaccine records so now I have to dig through my bag in the clinic lobby, pulling out dirty clothes and hiking gear to find it. I commend the nurses and staff being completely unphased because it was quite the sight (and smell) and I apologized profusely for shattering the peace and calm of their clinic.


Anyway it all worked out, the Doctor laughed when he asked me how long I had been in Osaka and I told him about 15 minutes and that I had just arrived from a campsite in the peninsula.

Yellow warning signs with Japanese text displayed on a wall.

My favorite sign I saw while waiting for one of the local trains

Modern urban plaza with people walking between office buildings in Japan.

Navigating the busy Osaka Station was not a fun time in the Summer heat and in a rush

Indian curry dishes and naan bread served on white plates.

After this crazy day, some good Indian/Nepali food to uplift my spirits. All this for $7!

Aside from that my time in Osaka was pretty boring. After a few hectic days I was enjoying my cheap Airbnb and it was just a good change to recharge. I used the time to work on my paper, edit photos, and plan my next move (planning got complicated due to incoming Typhoons). I did some night street photography as well as visiting Osaka castle which was really cool but that was about it!

Traditional Japanese castle reflected in a tranquil pond during golden hour.
Row of illuminated Japanese text signs hanging above a dimly lit street.
Blurred nighttime scene in a Japanese restaurant or bar with ambient lighting.
Glowing neon signs illuminate a dark Japanese street at night with traditional lanterns and shop displays.
Blue-lit Tsutenkaku Tower stands prominently against the dark Osaka skyline with street signage below.
Silhouettes of people viewing illuminated display panels in a dark room.
Colorful neon signs and lanterns light up a bustling street in an Asian night market.
Crowded nighttime street scene in Japan with bright yellow signage and illuminated storefronts.
People relaxing in an urban park during golden hour with trees and buildings in background.
Black and white sequence of shadows moving across a modern building facade at dusk.
Minimalist black and white photograph of traditional Japanese temple roof architecture.
Festive paper lanterns and neon signs illuminate a Japanese shopping arcade at night.
Silhouetted trees against a dusky orange sunset sky create a dramatic natural backdrop.
Japanese castle architecture with ornate rooflines set against a pale blue sky.
City skyline silhouetted against a gradient dusk sky.
Urban skyscrapers form a dark silhouette against an orange sunset sky.
Japanese castle tower illuminated at twilight with dark trees in the foreground.
Castle lights reflect off water at night creating a serene nighttime scene.
Row of illuminated vending machines glowing in a dark indoor space.
Traditional Japanese castle towers lit up against the deep blue night sky.
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Kyoto


After Osaka I made my way over to Kyoto on a short train ride. I really only did 2 days in Kyoto with one of them being a work day on my paper and booking future tickets. Before visiting Japan I heard so much on social media about how to avoid tourist crowds and this whole time I've been thinking "what tourists?". Of course I would see a few occasionally, but most tourists I saw were just Japanese families on vacation as it was festival season. Well, it turns out they're all in Kyoto. As a tourist I have no problem doing and enjoying "touristy" things, but it does take a bit away from the experience when you're walking through historical Kyoto and the streets are PACKED. I went from being the only non Asian person to now being the only (half) asian person in the area. Walking around was still really cool and I did enjoy seeing the older architecture. Seeing the crowds I decided to visit the main shrine of Kyoto: Fushimi Inari at sunset. It was a great decision as the crowds start to thin out the higher up the mountain you hike and especially once it gets dark I was able to visit the shrines and bamboo forests with no one else. Overall it was a fun visit and I don't regret it, but I've realized that I enjoy traveling a bit outside of the cities. Comparing the crowds at the Kyoto shrines to our backpacking trip where we're the only ones and we feel like we're adventuring into the unknown; I can't help but be unimpressed. It was a good experience though and realizing this has helped advise much of my future travels as I'm sure you'll see in the upcoming blogs. My time wrapped up in Kyoto and I was now off to Hiroshima because my backpacking plans to the Japan Alps were cancelled due to a large storm, though this turned into one of my favorite parts of the whole japan trip...