Owl Tower

Ikebukuro, Tokyo

A year in Review

2017 is almost over. So what happened this year? What did I do with it?

• worked and traveled a lot 
• made some friends 
• said goodbye to a few friends
• got my own apartment
• took a Japanese test
• did important life stuff in a foreign language
• gained, lost, then regained weight
• accepted myself a bit more and became less uncomfortable wearing and presenting as I really want to
• blogged more regularly or at least tried to
• stopped getting chonic hives and came off a year plus round of steriods
• started singing more seriously and entered a few contests/battled
• just had a good year in general

The Night View from the Tempozan Ferris Wheel

After taking a ride on the Santa Maria cruise and cheking out the Kaiyakan/Aquarium, I tries the Tempozan Ferris Wheel. 

It’s heralded as the biggest wheel im the world, at 150 meters (their words) and the ride is part tour, part Osaka marketing. Surprisingly, the ticket was only ¥800.
I wanted the best pictures possible, although you’re not technically supposed to take them, so I waited on line for maybe fourty minutes so I could get a transparent car.
Once onboard, I was mesmerized by the view, dispite my mild dislike of heights. I could see Universal Studios Japan, the aquarium, a famous red bridge, and a good portion of the city. The ride lasted fifteen minutes.
If you have a chance to try it, it’s worth doing. It’s really not expensive and each car can fit up to five people.

First Class Cabin, an interesting capsule hotel in Namba, Osaka

As I said in my last post, I decided to take a short trip to Osaka, now that the Winter Holidays are upon us. Part of my decision was based on having been to Osaka in the past and the passing familiarity with it from said visits. The bigger factor was price. The bus tickets (roundtrip) were a meer ¥5031, after applying the points gained from my last trip. That should be a little less that $50 USD, I think.

After I purchased the tickets, I googled hotels and hostels in the area I wanted to visit. Since it’s the holiday season, with many people returning to their hometowns, pices were of course inflated greatly, Lucky for me, I’m pretty flexible.

This time, I was saved from another stint in Joysound (karaoke) when I found First Cabin. Their cheaper options were booked solid, but they had some nice rooms for about ¥5700 a night. 

This fee was for a room with a lockbox (the partician has no lock, though women and men are seregated by floor, with electronic locks), a pair of PJs to borrow, free Wifi, a public bath (again one for women and another for men) with sauna, and many amenities. It might not be a good fit for people who are shy about their bodies. 

Also available were VOD services, food, laundry, and massage services. I did enjoy a light snack before bed (tea and chilled tofu with toppings), as well as the ¥800 breakfast buffet service. Both Japanese and Western foods were available, but I prefer Japanese foods.

For my money I did get a lot, but there were three things that were not quite to my liking, though that’s more to do with me personally, I think. First, the bed was much too stiff, though the provided body pillow helped a lot. 

Second, the room was a bit dry, dispite the supplied humidifier, and I woke up with a nosebleed. Thankfully, I didn’t bleed on any linnens. Though, nosebleeds also happen at home.

Last, this is more of a nitpick than anything else, the baths are way too hot. The presoak shower was absolutely fine, but the big tub was very hot. After entering it, I remembered suddenly that Osaka is known for their love of hot baths. I soaked for about ten minutes before getting dressed and heading back to my room.

All in all, it was very worth the price. The location wad great (around the corner from Namba Walk exit 22), the staff were very nice, and I recommend it to those traveling through Osaka and are a bit open-minded about where they stay.

https://first-cabin.jp/en/

The Derpfish of Osaka Aquarium

My winter vacation has started, so what better way than to take a mini-trip to Osaka? This trip included a cruise, the aquarium, and a ride on the world’s biggest ferris wheel.
At the aquarium, I found this guy. Hes curious about and trying to hide away from the various visitors.

Christmas Card

A very Merry Christmas to those who celebrate and a Good Monday to those who do not.

Trees for as Far as the Eye can See

Trees, trees everywhere. To think, come Monday morning, they will all have vanished, as if they had never been there to begin with.

Lights at Oasis 21

There’re illuminations and a skating rink at Oasis 21 in Sakae.

A Little Humidifier

Won this cute humidifier in a UFO catcher in Osu a couple of weeks ago. Figured it was a good time to try it out after waking up feeling a little under the weather.

13th Floor

The view from the thirteenth floor of the JR Towers. Pretty, isn’t it?