Half of our evening in Osaka on our 1st and 2nd day were spent dipping feet in warm water. It was excruciating walk and 2 days of pain and torture to our feet. But I think I lose weight #mylemakhasgone

Kidding. Berjalan 10km tapi mengkedarah macam orang tak makan setahun. Japanese authentic food is sooooo fresh I tell you. Who can resist. It took us a few days to get used to the walking, climbing stairs, walking down the stairs, walking up the escalator, bumping into human traffics. There were so many unexpected roadblocks. 

Anyway, our 2nd day of Osaka trip was spent in Universal Studio Japan which I think worth going the 2nd time. We arrived around 12pm. The closing time for USJ is 8pm. Please book your time slots for the Harry Potter park. We took the 4.30pm. We have roughly around 3 hours to kill. Entry is not allowed without reservation and it's free.

All the food served in USJ are NON HALAL so please bring some snacks along for Muslim travelers. we purchase the tickets before hand from JTB travel that costed around RM250 x 2 pax. You can purchase at the USJ counter but be careful during their school holidays, summer break, spring breaks and other major holidays. The lines can be long but they're fast. So it's up to you. I advise that you start exploring the place the moment the operation hour starts. The waiting time for some of the rides are like forever. We skipped many of it cause our Juan's main aim was the Harry Potter 5D rides. I shut both eyes throughout the ride. Call me #scarycat all you want, I don't care.

Expenses of the day:

Temmabashi station to Higeshi Umeda station 360 yen
Osaka Sattion to Nishikujo station 320 yen
Nishikujo station to Universal City 180 yen
Harry Potter wand 3800 yen x 2
Butter beer 1100 yen #gilasedap
Dinner 3780 yen
Universal City to Nishikujo station 180 yen
Higeshi Umeda to Temmabashi station 360 yen

*Osaka pass is an option for you unless you plan to visit many places, then consider getting it

As time goes by or as you age, your friend list shrink from 200 people to 10 close friends. Familiar? Of course. I believe it happens to everyone of us. As age catching up on us, we search for quality traits in a friend rather than 'Hey girlfriend' type of people. People who vanished the moment you need them in desperate time.

In friendship, people make mistakes. Mistakes that sometimes without realizing, you're hurting another party. Cause I was in that boat. There are few types of friends in this world (as far as I know) . 

1. Egoistic type

This is the type of people who doesn't admit their mistake even when it is pointed out clearly. He/she don't mind losing 1 friend thinking that he/she can make another 10 new friends

2. Merciful friend

This one is me. Very clearly. This type of friends apologize 10 thousand times when he/she makes mistake and work hard to mend the mistakes.

You see, no one is perfect. Neither do I but I come to realize that when you forgive someone and move on, it makes your life happier. When someone make mistake and try his/her level best to save the friendship, we often feel that person may need us desperately or 'Why should I?'. Look into the mirror and ask yourself whether have you make any mistake that hurt the person you care throughout your entire life? Of course you did. We are not robots. Conditioned to feel nothing, heartless, careless.

It was many weeks ago that I may have said something to a friend that he could not tolerate. But it was more of a direct truth rather than sugar coated sentences. I hardly sugar coat things when someone ask for my advise. Cause I believe in setting the right expectations. At the end of the day, everyone has to face the facts. That is my ideal of friendship. I know it hurts cause I have a best friend who will always tell me the truth when I ask for her opinion and I know it could stab you in the heart.

Regardless of my character, I have my own soft spot too. I forgive people easily although it could be the hardest thing to do but it is the most noble thing to do to help another person to move on and it makes you a happier individual. That innocent party can move on with his/her life because it wasn't the mistake that they did but have you thought about that person who is struggling to think of a million way on how to make it up to you? I can easily said 'I give up' but because I know what kind of friendship worth fighting for, I persevere BUT to a certain extend. 

 The point of my story is that along the way, sometimes you are given the upper hand and you could potentially turn on your alter ego and perhaps thinking that you're doing the right thing. Everyone makes mistakes, and never think that we are morally above them. No one can run from making mistake even the smallest one. To sit down and think thoroughly about the situation could possibly strengthen the friendship, perhaps better understanding of each other. What good a friend for if you can't accept his/her flaws because good and real people are hard to come by these days. People are so quick to judge your one mistake rather than looking back at all the good things you've done.

For now, I've tried my level best. I don't want to be looking back thinking 'I should have....'. Regrets that you'll carry throughout your life. It's choice you make.

Most of the planning were done by myself with a little help from Juan. I don't really have the knowledge about Japan except for Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko statue cause that was my aim for this trip since we had to cancel our Tokyo Disneyland trip.

After arriving at the apartment that we booked via AirBnb here, we rested about an hour, learned how to use the toilet seats (they have sooo many buttons), learned how to operate the heater, the shower and stove and washing machine. Most AirBnb apartments will provide a file that contains basic information on how to use the things around the house. If not provided, consult Mr.Google.

During our arrival in KIX airport, we purchased the 1 day Osaka Amazing pass that costed us 4,600 yen at the tourist information counter in the airport, the next morning. There are many subways you can access with this pass:

Osaka city subway, Nanko port town line, bus,

Hankyu (Umeda-Kanzakigawa, Mikuni, Aikawa, Shimoshinjo-Tenjinbashisuji 6 chome),

Kintetsu (Osaka Namba-Imazato, Osaka Abenobashi-Yata),

Keihan (Yodoyabashi-Senbayashi, Nakanoshima-Temmabashi),

Hanshin (Umeda-Amagasaki, Osaka Namba-Amagasaki),

Nankai (Namba-Sakai, Namba-Nakamozu, Shiomibashi-Kishinosatotamade)

Make sure you know where you want to visit in Osaka before purchasing any pass. You might end up NOT using them at all. We took a few days to get familiar with their subway system. It was be very confusing but Google can provide you accurate information on which train you should take, which platform and which station. We rented our pocket wifi from 4gpocketwifimalaysia. Very good service and super fast connection. Internet connection is very important in Japan.

Our first stop was the Osaka castle. The 1 day pass that we purchased entitle us a free entry to the castle. If not the cost of entry is 600 yen. Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

You can climb up the stairs to the main castle tower. There are 8 floors in total. Each floor has a unique display of weapons, fabrics and story lines of each era. It's a one way up and one way down entry.

There are food stalls at the exit of the castle but the prices are extremely expensive. We bought ice cream (yeap!) and jagung bakar. It costed us 850 yen. But the jagung bakar was soooo sedap and hot. It took us about 3 hours to finish exploring the whole castle and its surroundings. There are parks too where you can have picnics with your family. Everything is well preserved so be careful with touching some of the display in the castle and please do not litter. 

 Our next destination was Tsutenkaku where the famous Osaka tower and the iconic puffer fish lantern are situated. We didn't climb up the tower because I was too afraid of height, so we end up walking around the area. Food are quite expensive over here but for the sake of trying their famous soft crepe, we bought a strawberry and whipped cream crepe that cost 450 yen. It was soooooo good. 

The shops here closes very early between 6pm to 8pm because it was the end of winter and operate late morning around 11am. They don't open till late night. So I suggest that you start exploring the city around 10am. 

Japan has never been in my travel list. I mean,it'll be the last country I'll visit after the rest. I've seen documentaries on TV but never had I had the interest to go there. Until I met Juan. See, Juan is a BIGGGGG fan of Manga comics, Gundam thingy which I will never understand what makes these characters sooooo interesting. I just find it boring.

We bought our flight tickets last year, 9 months before our departure. But our 'real' preparation took place only 3 months before our fly date. Yeap, you heard me, 3 months before. We thought, since we're visiting Japan, might as well we cross 3 prefectures in one go. Therefore, my blog post will be divided into a few series. Places of interest, transportation system and accomodation. The first one will be our first stop, Osaka.

Mind you that our trip is a backpacking trip that exclude shopping budget and it depends on the currency exchange too.

Our flight started from PNG-KL-KIX-KL-PNG. The flight from KL-KIX took about 6 hours 15 minutes. I was bored to death on board. I couldn't really sleep so I was just doing people watching :-)

PNG-KL-PNG RM267.60 for two

KL-KIX-KL RM1,630 for two

JR rail tickets RM1,070 x 2= RM2,140

*If you plan to travel from Osaka/Kyoto to Tokyo, then I'll suggest that you purchase the JR Rail Pass as Tokyo will use a lot of this pass. It saves you a lot and convenient. You can also opt for the Shinkansen bullet train or the local train to get to Tokyo. You may get it here

We arrived KIX airport late night and the last train to the city was about 11.40pm. So we had to sleep in the airport and catch the first train the next morning. We took the local train (brief stops a few small stations) from KIX - Tennoji - Temmabashi where our apartment was located. The ride took about an hour. You can also opt to take the express train (this train will not stop at any small stations) which will go directly to Osaka station before you changed train to your destination. Ask the station master or information counter if you're unsure.

Tips: Google the place you want to go, if the local does not speak English, show them the place you want to go and they'll show you the way.

Train ticket from KIX - Temmabashi 240 yen x 2. It can bought from the ticket machine in front of the airport as you step outside at 2nd floor (Arrival floor)

Visiting Japan means a lot of walking is involved. I advise you to have a good workout prior to your trip. Because different companies run the metro, subway and train system, you have to walk for a distance when it comes to changing trains. It doesn't work like the Singapore MRT system.

You do not need to apply for visa to Japan. It's a arrival on visa system where they will issue you a stamped visa upon your arrival at the immigration counter. From 1st July 2013, the Government of Japan has decided to abolish the requirement of short-term visa for Malaysian Nationals who hold ordinary biometric passports with embedded microchip that is compliant with ICAO standards (issued since February 2010) who wish to enter Japan for short-term stay. Each arrival on visa can be used up to 3 months of stay.