A Curious Kind of Life

Tag: asia

  • Our Family’s First Trip to Japan: The Things We’ll Remember

    Our Family’s First Trip to Japan: The Things We’ll Remember

    When I think back on our first family trip to Japan, there are so many things that come to mind.

    The food. The trains. The walking. Getting lost. The little discoveries around every corner. The moments when we looked at each other and thought, Are we really in Japan right now?

    And then there are the places that gave us memories we know we’ll be talking about for a long time.

    A Day at Universal Studios Japan

    For my husband and my son, this was their first time visiting a Universal Studios theme park, so you can imagine how excited they were.

    We kept an eye on the weather and got our entrance tickets through Klook for a day when it wasn’t supposed to rain. Getting there meant taking the train—and remember that Kansai Pass we had? We definitely put that thing to work. We used it to get around throughout our trip, and Universal Studios was another place where it came in handy.

    One of the coolest parts actually happened before we even got there.

    As we were riding the train, we started seeing people dressed in Hogwarts uniforms.

    Hogwarts uniforms.

    On the train.

    Heading to Universal Studios Japan.

    Looking back, we absolutely should have brought our son’s Harry Potter costume. What were we thinking?! 😂

    Once we arrived, we basically made a whole day of it. We went through as many sections as we could and rode whatever rides made sense for us. We did have to be selective because of my son’s scoliosis, so we couldn’t just jump on every ride we saw. We had to choose wisely.

    But there was still plenty to see and do.

    Our favorite section was Harry Potter. Of course it was. Walking around that area really did feel like stepping into another world, and seeing our son enjoy it made the whole experience even better.

    Another highlight for him was WaterWorld. He had a blast watching the live-action scenes, and it was one of those moments where you could tell he was completely caught up in what was happening.

    Jurassic World was another favorite.

    We stayed all day, ate lunch inside the park, continued exploring, and didn’t make our way home until it was nighttime.

    Exhausted? Absolutely.

    Worth it?

    Absolutely.

    It was one of those days where you know you’ve made a family memory.

    When Old Japan Meets Modern Osaka

    Osaka Castle was a completely different experience.

    You probably don’t need an entire day for Osaka Castle. You can spend half a day—or a little more—and have plenty of time to take it all in.

    What struck me most was the setting.

    It almost felt like the castle was sitting in the center of the city, surrounded by everything modern Osaka has to offer. Shops, restaurants, buildings, people going about their day—and then, right there in the middle of it all, this massive historic castle surrounded by two moats.

    It was such a cool contrast.

    Getting to the castle grounds meant a lot of walking, including quite a bit of walking uphill. And apparently, Japan had decided that our trip needed to include ALL THE WALKING. 😂

    Along the way, there were vendors selling snacks, food and drinks, which was definitely appreciated after making our way uphill.

    As we got closer, I couldn’t help but think about how this place was built centuries ago without the machinery and technology we have today.

    How did they build something like this?

    It looked incredibly well fortified, and standing there, it wasn’t hard to imagine samurai guarding the castle and people living within those walls hundreds of years ago.

    We didn’t go inside the castle itself. The line was long, and there was an additional entrance fee, so we decided to stay on the castle grounds instead and simply enjoy the views.

    And honestly, I was okay with that.

    Sometimes you don’t have to see every single thing to appreciate where you are.

    And Then There Was Kyoto

    Our trip to Kyoto was another one of those adventures where we had a plan—but not necessarily a clue how to execute it. 😂

    We knew we wanted to visit Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, so we took the train from Osaka to Kyoto.

    Once we got to Kyoto Station, we realized we weren’t exactly sure where we needed to go next.

    So we did what any sensible traveler would do.

    We went to the information center and asked.

    They pointed us in the right direction, and we took the bus toward Kiyomizu-Dera.

    And then?

    We walked.

    And walked.

    And walked some more.

    Here’s to more walking!!!!! 😂

    The streets leading up to the temple are cobblestoned and climb uphill, with shops lining the way. There are food vendors, souvenir shops and places where you can even rent kimonos.

    It was crowded, too. Kiyomizu-Dera is famous, and plenty of people were making their way up the hill with us.

    So here’s my little piece of advice: bring a water bottle.

    You will thank me later.

    Once you reach the temple grounds, there’s plenty to explore. The grounds are vast, and you can wander around and take your time.

    And this is where something really special happened for me.

    I finally saw cherry blossoms.

    🌸

    Remember how I had wanted to see cherry blossoms during our Japan trip?

    Well, I didn’t get to see them throughout the trip because the blossoms were actually expected to bloom after we had already left Japan.

    Boohoo for me.

    But then we got to Kiyomizu-Dera.

    And there they were.

    Cherry blossoms.

    It wasn’t the huge explosion of pink I had imagined, but I didn’t care.

    I got my cherry blossoms.

    And somehow, finding them there made them even more special.

    While we were walking back down the hill, I also found one of my kokeshi dolls in one of the shops.

    And here’s another lesson I learned:

    If you see something you really like, get it.

    Because you might think, I’ll come back for it later.

    And then, before you know it, you’re at the bottom of the hill, the buses are there, and you’re moving on to the next part of your adventure.

    So yes, I got my kokeshi doll. 😊

    And Then, There Was Mt. Fuji

    Our trip was coming to an end.

    We were on the Shinkansen from Osaka back to Tokyo, heading toward the airport and, eventually, home.

    This time, we were riding the bullet train in the morning. It was sunny, which meant we actually had a chance to see the scenery outside the windows.

    And somewhere around more than halfway through our ride, I was looking out the window on the left side of the train. I happened to be sitting in the aisle seat, so I was looking across toward the two-seat section on the other side.

    And then I saw her.

    Mt. Fuji.

    There she was in all her majestic form, snowcapped and enormous against the clear sky.

    I was mesmerized.

    I tapped my husband. Then my son.

    I think I just whispered, “Mt. Fuji.”

    And I pointed out the window.

    For a few seconds, we just looked.

    Oh. My. God.

    There it was.

    Mt. Fuji.

    Japan’s symbol.

    And it was just…right there.

    I don’t think you can really understand how massive it is until you’re actually looking at it. It’s so tall. So enormous. And somehow, seeing it from a moving Shinkansen made the whole thing feel surreal.

    We weren’t planning this.

    We hadn’t booked a tour.

    We weren’t standing at some famous viewpoint waiting for it to appear.

    We were simply on our way home.

    And Japan gave us one more memory.

    A really, really big one.

    And then comes the part that still makes me laugh.

    Did I take a freaking picture?!?!?!

    NO.

    😂😂😂

    I didn’t take a picture.

    My husband didn’t take a picture.

    My son didn’t take a picture.

    None of us took a picture.

    We were too caught up in the moment.

    And honestly?

    I’m okay with that.

    Because every once in a while, you get a moment that you don’t experience through a camera lens. You just experience it.

    I can still picture it in my head.

    I can still feel that little jolt of excitement when I realized what I was looking at.

    And I still get chills thinking about it.

    That was how our first trip to Japan ended—with Mt. Fuji appearing outside our Shinkansen window just as we were about to leave the country.

    Talk about perfect timing.

    Next time, though?

    We’re going to make it a point to see Mt. Fuji on purpose.

    Not just as she passes by the window of a bullet train.

    We’re going to stop.

    We’re going to take our time.

    And yes…

    We are absolutely taking the freaking picture. 😂🗻

    We Didn’t See Everything—and That’s Okay

    There are so many other places we could have visited in Kyoto.

    And that’s exactly the problem.

    There are so many places to visit in Japan that trying to see everything in one trip just isn’t realistic.

    We had to choose.

    We picked the places that mattered most to us and tried to enjoy them rather than rushing from one attraction to another just so we could say we’d been there.

    And I think that’s one of the biggest things I’ll remember about this trip.

    We didn’t see everything.

    We didn’t experience everything.

    We probably didn’t even do everything the right way.

    But we experienced Japan together.

    We rode trains and figured things out as we went. We walked until our feet were tired. We got lost. We ate things we’d never tried before. We saw places we’d only ever seen in pictures.

    My husband experienced his first Universal Studios theme park.

    My son got to walk through the world of Harry Potter, watch WaterWorld, see Jurassic World and explore a country he’d been excited to visit.

    And I finally got to see cherry blossoms.

    Even if it was just a little bit.

    Maybe that’s the funny thing about travel.

    Sometimes the things you miss become the reason you want to go back.

    We didn’t get to see all of Kyoto.

    We didn’t get to see Japan in every season.

    We didn’t get to check everything off the list.

    And that’s okay.

    Because now we have a reason to go back.

    There are more places to explore.

    More food to eat.

    More trains to figure out.

    More things to get lost looking for.

    And hopefully, more cherry blossoms waiting for me somewhere.

    Our first family trip to Japan may be over, but I don’t think our Japan story is.

    This feels a lot more like a beginning than an ending. 🎌❤️

  • Our Family’s First Trip to Japan: What We Ate in Japan

    Our Family’s First Trip to Japan: What We Ate in Japan

    Warning: There Will Be a Lot of “Melt in Your Mouth”

    Wagyu? Melted.
    Pork cutlet? Melted.
    Whatever comes next? Probably melted. 😂

    You really can’t go to another country without trying their food. Well—you can, but why would you? 😂

    We didn’t go to Japan to eat the same things we eat back home. We’re pretty adventurous when it comes to food, and we’re willing to try whatever looks interesting. We also love those little hole-in-the-wall restaurants—the places that aren’t part of some big chain and don’t necessarily look like much from the outside.

    Those are usually the places that end up being the most memorable.

    So, we surveyed the area around our hotel and zeroed in on two potential restaurants.

    One was a Japanese curry place.

    The other was a ramen shop.

    Perfect.

    One dinner at the curry place. The next dinner at the ramen shop.

    Two dinners planned. We were professionals. 😂

    Dinner #1: The Curry Place 🍛

    For our first dinner, we went with the Japanese curry place.

    I ordered the shrimp tempura curry, my husband ordered the cheese curry, and my son ordered the pork cutlet curry.

    They prepared everything right in front of us and served it on these simple, oblong plates—rice on one side, the fried protein on top, and that glorious curry sauce poured over everything.

    It looked modest.

    It looked appetizing.

    And then we took our first bites.

    Oh. My. Goodness.

    That was, without a doubt, the most scrumptious shrimp tempura curry I have ever tasted.

    I have absolutely no idea what they put in that curry sauce, but whatever it was, they knew what they were doing. The sauce was rich, flavorful, and just ridiculously good.

    And yes…

    It melted in my mouth. 😂

    You know those boxes of Japanese curry mix you can buy from Asian grocery stores back home?

    Yeah.

    Those didn’t even come close.

    I’m not saying they’re bad. We actually like them. But after eating curry in Japan, we realized that we had been living a lie. 😂

    There is just something about eating it fresh, prepared right in front of you, with that crispy shrimp tempura and perfectly cooked rice, that takes it to a completely different level.

    We left that little restaurant full, satisfied, and very happy with our dinner.

    One dinner down.

    One more planned.

    Dinner #2: The Ramen Shop 🍜

    Right next to the curry place was a ramen shop.

    We had actually been eyeing this place from our hotel room window every night. Every time we looked down, it seemed to be full of people.

    That got our attention.

    If a little restaurant is packed every night, there has to be a reason, right?

    So, after watching it for a few nights, we finally decided to give it a try.

    And I can’t say it wasn’t full that night either.

    There was a wait.

    While we waited, the server handed us the menu, which gave us plenty of time to figure out what we wanted.

    Both my husband and I decided to go with different types of ramen. Our son, meanwhile, decided to try the karaage chicken and something else that, unfortunately, I can’t remember. 😂

    When we finally got to our table, we placed our orders and looked around.

    Just like the curry place, it was modest-looking. Nothing fancy. No elaborate décor. Just a small restaurant filled with people enjoying their meals.

    And honestly?

    That’s exactly what we wanted.

    The place was packed, so we knew we were probably in for a treat.

    Then our food came out.

    The server brought us two large, heaping bowls of ramen, along with our son’s orders.

    And boy, were those bowls good!

    The ramen itself was delicious, but the pork belly toppings on mine…

    Yep.

    Melt. In. Your. Mouth.

    I had my husband try a piece of the pork belly and some of the ramen I ordered.

    He said it was tasty.

    For a Midwesterner, that’s saying a lot. 😂 Trust me.

    Then there was our son.

    He decided the karaage chicken was the best thing ever and that chicken nuggets didn’t even stand a chance.

    He ranked that chicken way, WAY up there.

    And when I tasted a piece, I understood why.

    Those things are the bomb!

    Crispy breading on the outside, but somehow the chicken inside was still so tender and juicy.

    How do they DO that?!?!

    Seriously.

    I’m still trying to figure it out.

    So, dinner #2 was another success.

    We walked back to our hotel room with full bellies and big smiles on our faces.

    Two dinners.

    Two wins.

    And apparently, we had discovered that when it comes to Japanese food, “melt in your mouth” was becoming less of a description and more of a recurring theme. 😂

    A Few More Food Adventures

    During one of our walks around the hotel, we discovered a Mister Donut shop.

    Now, I know Mister Donut is a chain. But here’s the thing: we don’t have Mister Donut where we live, and Japanese Mister Donut has something that immediately caught our attention—mochi donuts.

    So, naturally, we went in.

    Because when you’re in Japan and you see something you don’t normally get back home, you try it!

    We grabbed ourselves some donuts, and they did not disappoint.

    The mochi donuts were chewy, soft, and just plain fun to eat. My son absolutely loved them.

    Of course, he immediately wanted to know if we could get them at home.

    Sorry, bud.

    Not where we live. 😂

    The Cheesecake Everyone Was Lining Up For

    While we were wandering around Dotonbori, we came across Rikuro Ojisan’s Cheesecake.

    And there was a line.

    A pretty good one.

    Now, when you see a bunch of people lining up for food, you have two choices: keep walking or find out what all the fuss is about.

    We are foodies.

    We investigated. 😂

    Rikuro Ojisan’s is known for its incredibly fluffy cheesecake, so naturally, we had to try one.

    Off to the hotel we went with our cheesecake.

    And yes, it was good!

    But it was also very different from the cheesecake we’re used to back home. It was light, airy, and almost more like a soft, fluffy dessert than the dense cheesecake we’re familiar with.

    Would I eat it every day?

    Probably not.

    But was it unusual enough that I’m glad we tried it?

    Absolutely.

    And that’s really what our food adventures in Japan were all about—trying things we wouldn’t normally have at home.

    Well… Wagyu!

    We spent two days in Dotonbori, so naturally, one of those days had to include dinner there.

    We found a teppanyaki restaurant that also served wagyu.

    Well… wagyu!

    We don’t normally have that at home, so how could we not try it?

    The wagyu came thinly sliced, and we cooked it ourselves on the grill right in front of us. They told us when each piece was ready, so we sat there grilling our food, waiting for everything to cook.

    There were other proteins to put on the grill too, but let’s be honest.

    The wagyu was the highlight of the evening.

    Those were some of the juiciest, most flavorful pieces of beef we had ever eaten.

    And yes.

    You already know where I’m going with this.

    Melt. In. Your. Mouth. 😂

    At this point, I’m starting to think Japan was personally trying to make sure I used that phrase as many times as humanly possible.

    Lunch Near Osaka Castle

    One of our lunches was near Osaka Castle.

    By this point, we had learned something very useful about eating in Japan: some restaurants have pictures or incredibly realistic food models of the dishes right outside or near the menu.

    And honestly?

    I loved this.

    You can look at the food before you order it instead of standing there trying to figure out what you’ve just read.

    While we waited, we looked over the food models and decided what we wanted.

    I settled on the pork katsudon—a deep-fried pork cutlet served over rice with eggs on top.

    My son ordered the chicken teriyaki, which he enjoyed.

    As for my husband…

    I honestly don’t remember what he ordered.

    I was too engrossed in—and completely satisfied with—my katsudon. 😂

    That pork cutlet was crispy on the outside, tender inside, and paired perfectly with the rice and egg.

    Another meal.

    Another success.

    At this point, we were beginning to realize something about traveling in Japan:

    We really, really liked eating our way through this country.

    So, What Should You Try?

    I don’t want to bore you with a list of every single food we tried and liked. We’d be here forever. 😂

    Our stomachs have limits, after all.

    So I’ll leave you with this:

    Try as many things as you can that you can’t find back home.

    We honestly couldn’t try every single thing we wanted to try. There was only so much food we could eat in one trip!

    But if you have the chance, go for it.

    Try those Japanese soufflé pancakes.

    Try the sushi Japan is known for.

    Try the matcha teas.

    Try that burnt Basque cheesecake.

    Try those daifukus.

    If it’s something you’ve never had before and you probably can’t find it back home, try it.

    Because when you have the chance to experience something like that, you should take it.

    Those are the stories you get to tell your family and friends when you come home.

    You don’t want to come back from Japan and tell everyone that you tried their chicken nuggets and explain how they’re different. 😂

    You want to tell them about the food.

    You want to tell them about the things you had never tasted before.

    You want to tell them about the little restaurant you found while wandering around.

    You want to tell them about the food that surprised you.

    You want to say, “Oh my gosh, you have to try this!”

    Because that’s part of what makes traveling so much fun.

    You get to step outside what you know, try something completely different, and come home with a story.

    And sometimes…

    it melts in your mouth. 😂

  • Our First Trip to Japan: Discovering Osaka

    Our First Trip to Japan: Discovering Osaka

    Where We Stayed

    So, let’s talk about where we stayed in Osaka—Moxy Osaka Umeda.

    The hotel has a modern, fun feel with contemporary furnishings. We had read that most hotel rooms in Japan tend to be on the smaller side, so we weren’t expecting a huge room. But honestly, this one didn’t feel small to us. I would say it was a modest size and worked really well for the three of us.

    And the most important thing?

    It has a bidet. 😂

    My son stayed on that pot longer than he needed to.

    Mm-hmm!

    And did we mention that it sprays both lukewarm and cold water?!

    Very awesome!! 😂

    The breakfast area is on the ground floor, and they had both continental and traditional Japanese breakfast items available at the buffet. There was a good variety, and overall, I’d say our stay was comfortable and the breakfast was great.

    Another thing we really liked was having convenience stores nearby. If we wanted drinks or snacks in the middle of the night, we could just walk downstairs and grab something. With a kid who is always hungry, that was definitely a plus!

    Convenience Stores Are a Whole Thing

    And Japanese convenience stores are an experience all on their own.

    The nearest one to our hotel was Lawson, which made those late-night snack or drink runs super easy. If we walked a little farther toward Osaka Station, there was also a 7-Eleven.

    And these aren’t just places where you grab a bag of chips and leave.

    For starters, they don’t just have sections for cold drinks. You can get hot drinks too! There are hot drinks sitting right there in the store, ready to grab. That was something we weren’t used to seeing back home.

    Then my son discovered the smoothie machine.

    They have frozen fruit already portioned into cups. You pick the one you want, pay for it, then scan the barcode on the smoothie machine. Put the cup in, let the machine do its thing, and next thing you know—there’s your smoothie!

    My son absolutely loved that part. 😂

    It was one of those little things that probably wouldn’t make it onto a typical “Top Things to Do in Osaka” list, but it was one of the things we remember.

    And if you ever find yourself in a Japanese convenience store, try the egg sandwich.

    Seriously.

    Those were some of the fluffiest sandwiches we’ve ever had. And that egg filling?

    Yummmyyyyy in our tummies!! 😂

    We were not expecting a convenience-store egg sandwich to become something we looked forward to, but here we are.

    Getting Around Osaka

    Now, here’s something I didn’t know when I was researching the hotel.

    There are actually two local train stations in the area, and I didn’t realize this until we got there.

    The station we were closest to was Osaka Station, where the JR Line runs—and that’s actually the one we wanted.

    This turned out to be really convenient for us because we knew we wanted to explore beyond Osaka itself.

    There are area passes that you can purchase through Klook depending on where you’re going. Since we knew we wanted to visit Dotonbori, Osaka Castle, Universal Studios, and Kyoto, our main transportation was going to be the trains.

    We took advantage of the Kansai Area Pass, which allowed us to ride the trains unlimited for however many days we chose, depending on the pass we purchased.

    So here we are at the train station office getting our passes.

    And after that?

    We’re lost.

    Confused as heck.

    How can railway lines be this complicated?!?!

    Our first attempt at figuring out the Osaka train system. Spoiler: we asked for directions. A lot.

    There were people moving in every direction, trains coming and going, signs everywhere, and here we were trying really hard not to look like lost tourists.

    But can you blame us?

    It’s confusing, I tell you. 😂

    So what do we do in case of confusion-ness?

    Ask.

    So we asked.

    And then we asked again.

    And again…

    The staff were really good about helping us figure things out—what platform to take, where to get off, whether we needed to switch trains, and which train was actually ours.

    Once we started getting the hang of it, it became much easier.

    But one thing that continued to amaze us was how many trains were coming and going on different schedules and heading to different places.

    And somehow, they all run on time.

    Like, really on time.

    Not “I’ll be there in five minutes” and then showing up fifteen minutes later.

    I’m talking right on schedule.

    You really have to be in awe of how they keep everything moving.

    Meanwhile, we’re just standing there trying to figure out which platform we’re supposed to be on. 😂

  • Our First Trip to Japan: Landing in Tokyo & Taking the Shinkansen to Osaka

    Our First Trip to Japan: Landing in Tokyo & Taking the Shinkansen to Osaka

    Landing at Haneda

    So this is it! We’re finally in Japan! That was close to a 14-hour direct flight, and we’re ready to stretch and walk, ready to potty, and ready for whatever’s going to come next.

    Nothing says “Welcome to Japan” quite like a bidet. 😂 I’m telling you, my son was obsessed with it the moment he discovered that thing. And all the restrooms at the airport have bidets. First real Japanese experience—bidet! Check!

    We knew we were going to take the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Osaka, and we were really looking forward to that experience! But first, we had to get through immigration.

    The line was long—like you’re lining up to get into a BTS concert venue. 😂 The airline had given us forms to fill out for customs and immigration, which we completed on the plane, so at least we were good in that area.

    I think we spent about an hour going through immigration, and then we had to pick up our luggage. You know those Facebook reels that show you how Japanese airline employees take care of your luggage? They were not kidding at all.

    Because it took us so long to get through immigration, the employees had already taken our luggage off the baggage carousel and lined everything up for us.

    Okay, Japan. We see you.

    We got some of our bearings straight. My husband went to the foreign exchange counter because we had read that Japan relies heavily on cash, especially in smaller areas. Meanwhile, my son and I went to the information desk to ask for directions on what train to take, where to get our tickets, and how to board the Shinkansen to Osaka.

    We also picked up our rented pocket Wi-Fi from a kiosk at the airport.

    Okay. We had our luggage. We had our Wi-Fi. We had some cash.

    Now we just needed to find the train to take us to the Shinkansen station.

    Our First Shinkansen Experience

    Then we were off without a hitch!!

    Not.

    We got lost. A lot. 😂

    And we were anticipating that this probably wouldn’t be the last time we’d get lost, but hey! Part of the journey, right?!

    So we asked for directions. And then we asked again. And probably again.

    We were really glad that we hadn’t bought Shinkansen tickets beforehand with a scheduled departure time because, honestly, we wouldn’t have made that train.

    But through the help of the people at the stations, we eventually found our way.

    Finally, we could take a breather while waiting for our Shinkansen.

    And can we talk about the vending machines?

    They’re awesome!

    They can dispense both hot and cold drinks, which I thought was pretty cool. We grabbed something to drink and finally had a moment to just sit and take everything in.

    My husband looking through his choices from the vending machine

    We were actually in Japan.

    And we were about to ride the Shinkansen.

    When it finally arrived at the platform, we were just like, “WHOA!!!!”

    And in comes this futuristic-looking train that we had never seen before in our entire lives.

    I mean, we knew it was coming. We had seen pictures. We knew what a Shinkansen looked like.

    But seeing it come flying into the station in person was a completely different experience.

    It was one of those moments where all three of us just stood there thinking, “Okay… this is really cool.” 😂

    The Shinkansen experience was really great. The Tokaido Shinkansen, which connects Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, can reach speeds of up to 285 km/h, or about 177 mph.

    It was traveling at such a fast speed, but you could barely feel it inside the train. The scenery was just whizzing by.

    Granted, it was nighttime when we boarded, so we couldn’t see much.

    And by this time, we were wiped out.

    We got ourselves and our luggage situated, settled into our seats, and pretty much dozed off.

    Not exactly the glamorous bullet-train experience I had imagined.

    But honestly?

    It was perfect.

    Arriving in Osaka and Finding our Hotel

    It was way past midnight when we finally arrived in Osaka.

    We found out as soon as we got there that the Shinkansen station is different from the train stations that run locally. Heh!

    Oops!

    Our hotel wasn’t within walking distance of the Shinkansen station, so we decided to take a cab. Thankfully, there was a taxi line just outside the station, which made things much easier.

    I showed the cab driver the hotel name—Moxy Osaka Umeda—along with the hotel address.

    Moxy Osaka Umeda in the morning

    And so began another part of our adventure.