Osaka Nights and Morning Noodles: A Slightly Disorganized Travel Diary
so here i am, sitting in a tiny osaka cafe, trying to make sense of the last 48 hours. it's been a blur of neon lights, vending machine coffee, and conversations i can barely remember. i just checked and it's 11°c and feels like 9°c there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. personally, i'm still wearing the same hoodie i bought three days ago because i forgot to pack properly.
anyway, osaka. what a place. i landed with nothing but a backpack and a vague plan to eat my way through the city. someone told me that the best takoyaki isn't in the tourist spots but in some alley near namba. i found it by accident after getting lost trying to find a 7/11 for snacks. the guy running the stand had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a laugh that made me feel like i'd known him for years.
*the weather's been weirdly perfect for wandering*, not too hot, not too cold. just enough chill to make you crave ramen at 2am. i heard that kyoto and kobe are just a short train ride away, so if you get bored, you've got options. but honestly, osaka's got enough going on to keep you busy for weeks.
i met this freelance photographer at a bar in shinsaibashi who swore by the sunrise at osaka castle. said it's the only time the place isn't crawling with tourists. i haven't been yet, but it's on my list. right after i finish this third cup of coffee and figure out where i left my phone.
"the real osaka is in the backstreets,"
a drunk salaryman told me last night. i think he was trying to sell me on a karaoke bar, but his point stuck. the best moments here have been the unplanned ones-like stumbling into a tiny jazz bar where the owner played trumpet like he was channeling miles davis.
if you're into food, you're in the right place. i've eaten more okonomiyaki than i can count, and i'm not even mad about it. someone else warned me that the lines at ichiran ramen are worth it, but i haven't braved that yet. maybe tomorrow. or maybe i'll just keep wandering and see where the night takes me.
anyway, here's a map in case you're planning your own chaotic adventure:
and because no travel post is complete without photos, here are a few i stole from the internet:
time to go find some breakfast. or maybe just another vending machine coffee. who knows.
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